American Sign Language Day recognizes the first school that opened for the deaf, in 1817.
Kraig Klingenberg’s road to teaching the popular new American Sign Language course at Duke was circuitous. In grade school Klingenberg had a classmate whose mom was Deaf, and he became interested in the culture. He learned the language, becoming a dorm counselor at a School for the Deaf in North Dakota and eventually a certified interpreter in Colorado.
“I wanted to learn the Deaf culture and stories,” said Klingenberg. “You don’t have to travel to be immersed. [The language] brings people together.”
Klingenberg began teaching American Sign Language at Duke last fall, with students now taking either ASL 101 or 102.
Even if you don’t know the language, there are ways to connect. “Say you have a coworker who is deaf,” said Klingenberg. “Overenunciating or speak slowly doesn’t work. Meet them at their level -- use a gesture.”
To help build students’ language skills, the class attends events in the community with local native users. These local meetups are integrated into the curriculum with the hopes that students will have a greater understanding and increased respect for the Deaf. “With more students interacting with the Deaf community, the more they can act as allies,” Klingenberg said.
Where the class meets community
Duke students studying American Sign Language (ASL) share conversations with community members during a meet-up event at Monuts in Durham.
First-year Tawanna Revels signs the word “more.”
First-year Sophie Shapiro signs “two weeks.”
Meetups are integrated into the curriculum with the hopes that students will have a greater understanding and increased respect for the Deaf.
