ASL Students’ Ability to Self Assess ASL Competency

An interpreter’s ability to self assess is a fundamental requirement for determining readiness to accept an assignment and for setting realistic goals for self-guided continuing education. Self assessment is widely used at the university level and viewed as both a tool for learning and a valued outcome of higher education. This study seeks to investigate ASL students’ accuracy in self assessing their language competency. Accuracy is defined in this study as a strong correspondence between students’ self assessment and instructors’ assessment of the students’ ASL competency as measured on the Sign Communication Proficiency Interview Scale. Across all ASL classes there was a significant and moderate-strong correlation between students’ self-ratings and their instructors’ ratings of the students’ sign communication proficiency. Students did not improve in self assessment accuracy as they progressed through the ASL course sequence. Self assessment skills should be taught and practiced throughout the course of ASL classes