Would a general ASL proficiency certificate be a waste of time?

Question

Not interested in becoming an interpreter. Planning on going to school for childhood development. Possibly venture into the field of children with special needs. I think perhaps learning sign language would be a great fit for my career choice. Would a certificate for ASL classes be worthy? I know there are some online options but I'd prefer a more hands-on learning approach. I've heard of deaf community events. I'd love to take part in them but only after actually learning some sign language. I'd like to learn enough to be able to communicate back and forth with kids. Would a year of sign language classes and studying at home suffice in entering the level of proficiency where I can communicate with kids between 1-4 year old?

Answer 1

A simple answer would be no, it is not worth it. A certificate in ASL will not really help you career wise, but learning the language- even a little of it, is extremely beneficial to not only the career field you have chosen, but your daily life. If you were to study ASL for a year, go to classes and attend deaf events you would be able to pick up enough language to communicate with 1-4 year olds, it may look more like Signed Exact English (SEE) than ASL, but it is enough to help build a rapport with children. The reason I say opt-out of the certificate because most jobs will only ask about how fluid you are in that language, so it is important to simply be honest and do not try to take on a job that may be more advanced than your skill set.