Are There Enough Universities Offering Master and Doctorate Degrees in Teaching ASL?

Are there enough universities offering Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Teaching ASL?
Student name
University of Northern Colorado
Introduction
Education is considered one of the basic and fundamental human rights in the world. It is expected that every person, regardless of their race, nationality, ethnic background, physical challenge or limitations, religion, gender, etc., should be able to be educated. However, different countries often fall short, especially where the physically challenged are concerned. For example, in the U.S., only three prestigious universities offer Masters’ and Doctorate degrees in Deaf Education and American Sign Language. These three universities include Lamar University, Gallaudet University, and the University of Northern Colorado. Common sense dictates that students need teachers, and if there are not enough faculty members, the chances are high education will be largely impaired. Therefore, questions linger on whether there are enough qualified faculty personnel to teach American Sign Language, and this question provides the key issue that this research will focus on.
Literature Review
As in any profession, the first thing to be concerned about is whether a person is qualified for a position or not. The same applies to individuals interested in teaching American Sign Language. In their article titled “Who is Qualified to Teach American Sign Language,” Kanda and Fleischer (1988) detail the qualifications of individuals who could teach American Sign Language (ASL). From their article, the authors take note of several notable qualities and skills that ASL teachers should have to be considered qualified teachers who can make a significant impact in the community. Kanda and Fleischer (1988) discussed in their article that an ASL teacher should (1) have the utmost respect for ASL and its history, (2) be comfortable with interactions with the deaf community and culture, (3) have formal education on ASL and pedagogy, (4) be familiar with teaching second languages, (5) have aspirations for personal and professional growth, and (6) be human beings first, teachers second, and teachers of ASL third. These characteristics and skills were noted to be of the highest importance among others, and these characterize what it is to be a good teacher and a good ASL teacher. The authors place values on teaching and humanity and their impacts on teaching ASL, as they should because these areas are at the core of teaching ASL. These areas are centered on the students and the effect of the teachers on their learning, which then maximizes the learning effects and provides a good foundation for communication. Furthermore, the authors emphasized that ASL teachers should have a well-rounded competence that allows them to serve as role models for their students. Since the ASL community is growing due to advancements in research and increased awareness and sensitivity, it is important that there are good ASL teachers who can not only teach the language but also share how the language can be used for good. For Kanda and Fleischer (1988), teaching ASL is not simply about relaying information to students but calls for so much more. This article offers great insight because it shares the skills ...