The WWU Interpreting Program prepares

students to effectively communicateand

interpret between American Sign Language (ASL) and English. Practicum experiences are provided in educational, medical, vocational and other settings. The program also provides for interaction with students at the Missouri School for the Deaf (www.msd.k12.mo.us), the local deaf community, and deaf instructors and tutors in a state-of-the-art interpreting lab.

The Department of Interpreting and American Sign Language recognizes the minority status of D/deaf people and the long history of linguistic and cultural oppression they have endured.

WWU's Interpreting Program prepares students to effectively communicate and interpret between American Sign Language (ASL) and English. Included in this training is recognition of Deaf people in an "ethnic" light, as a people, with a distinctive language, sensibility, and culture of their own.

Interpreting is a challenging field with some very unique qualities that set it apart as a profession. It would be difficult to find another field that offers such a variety of experiences. Interpreters serve in nearly every kind of classroom, medical setting, service situation, or therapy setting that occurs, and this list could be expanded indefinitely. To put it simply, an interpreter can be exposed to a whole world of information and thrust into situations demanding professional preparation or training.

William Woods University is unique in that we are housed less than two miles from the Missouri School for the Deaf and we are heavily involved with the local Deaf Community. We offer Deaf Instructors and Deaf tutors in a state of the art Interpreting Lab and are one of twenty-three Interpreting Bachelor’s Degree Programs throughout the United States and Canada.