Rosanne N. answered • 02/12/25
Learn Real-World ASL Skills from an Interpreter, One Sign at a Time!
2 years! đ
Dedication: I practiced obsessively and immersed myself fully in the language. If you are dedicated to practice it can happen. Learning the language and learning to interpret the language took me altogether 2-yrs and because I had a background in the medical field, I went straight into medical interpreting. I obsessively practiced!
Immersion: Attending Deaf events and volunteering at a Deaf school was crucial for full immersion as well as taking courses where the teacher didnât talk but taught through ASL only.
Interpreting: The interpreting courses also helped me obtain fluency, because I learned more about the linguistics aspect of the language as well as immersive practice.
Key Takeaways:
Full Immersion: Continuously engage with the Deaf community to stay fluent. Besides helping to develop your fluency it can create lasting friendships and meaningful connections.
Age is just a number: I started learning ASL at 36 without any prior exposure to the language or to anyone that was deaf. Yet with a lot of motivation and dedication, I became fluent and began working as a certified ASL interpreter in the medical field.
Realistic Expectations: Â If you can obsessively practice for hours on end every dayâto where you think it, live it, and breathe itâthen it can be 2-yrs. However, most donât do that, so with regular daily practice, it can be 5 â 7 years. Inconsistent practice will delay fluency.
Hopefully you can see that it depends on how much time you put into it. Everyone learns at different rates, but then there is deliberate practiceâhow much âdeliberateâ practice are you willing to put in?
Consistency, engagement, and passion are key to mastering ASL. Stay committed, and you can achieve fluency! đ
