Greendale American Sign Language program; 'A whole different world'

GREENDALE, Wis. - Word is spreading about an offering at Greendale High School that’s opening up a new world for students.

"It really changed my whole life plan," junior Julia Gnadt said. 

Gnadt is now listening to her heart, even – and especially – when there’s nothing to hear.

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"It’s just kind of weird because it’s silent, but me in my head, it’s not quiet in my head, because I’m having communication going on," Gnadt said.

The classroom she's talking about is likely the quietest you’ll ever come across.

"It’s quite strange that the classroom is just silent the whole time," Gnadt’s classmate, Sydney Block said.

They’re in the level 3 American Sign Language (ASL) class, part of Greendale High’s ASL program. It began in 2018 after a suggestion by a parent. Even though the students can hear, the classes are reframing the way they see things.

"Once you start learning these things, it just opens your eyes to a whole different world I didn’t really think about before," Gnadt said. "People think it’s translated English, it’s English through sign, but it’s not. It’s an entire language on itself. I think that’s crazy and amazing."

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"Something you have to do when you're signing is use your facial expressions, use your eyebrows, put your eyebrows down, scrunch up your nose, scrunch up your eyes," Block said. "That’s how you express. It’s not just using your hands."

There aren’t currently deaf students at Greendale High School, according to the school, and the class doesn’t just interest those with deaf family or friends. Of the school’s about 950 students, roughly 120 are enrolled in Jennifer McCauley’s ASL classes, levels 1-4.

"My classes are always filled," McCauley said. 

'We learn from each other:' Taking skills beyond the classroom

Students are also using their skills outside the classroom to craft relationships.

One Monday a month, a group of students heads to Water Tower View apartments in Greenfield for the deaf to visit and make crafts with seniors.

"For them to see the effect they’re making, the impact and just how quickly they’re able to put into practice what they’re learning in the classroom is very rewarding for me," McCauley said.

"It’s really just interesting talking with them and being out there in the community," Gnadt said.

An interpreter helped translate the deaf residents, but anyone could read their emotions.

"They help us. I really enjoy myself," said June Parish, a Water Tower View resident of 17 years. "I love it so much, and I’m really happy they come. It keeps me busy."

"I think it’s always great they come," said another resident, Gary Schleicher. "When they’re around, I try to make sure to be down here and, yeah, force them to use the American Sign Language, practice their skills."

"Oh it’s great," resident coordinator Deborah Ward said. "Anybody who wants to learn American Sign Language, please be welcome, come and learn. We learn from each other and the interaction is great."

Opportunities to learn in school

When it comes to learning ASL in school, the opportunity isn’t always there.

Greendale is one of few public high schools in the state offering such a program, McCauley said, adding that it’s the only program of this size in the area.

In Madison, La Follette High School also offers ASL classes. The Milwaukee Sign Language School also offers ASL instruction, but only to children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their siblings, according to its website.

Even after high school, educational opportunities can be limited. 

According to University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Associate Professor Erin Wiggins, UWM is unique in the state in its offering of an American Sign Language Studies degree.

"There are various different cultural studies you can take, but we’re the ones that really focus on ASL," an interpreter translated for Wiggins. "We also are the only program that has all instructors who are deaf. They are native users of the language and that really creates a huge gain for our students, because ASL should be taught by a native user as often as possible."

Each year about 350 to 400 students enroll in ASL classes, which include ASL levels I through VI as well as deaf history and culture.

"I think some people don’t understand it’s more than a pretty language in the air," Wiggins said. "It has its own syntax. It has its own culture. It has particular rules it has to follow. It has the same benefits to a student as every other language."

She said when she was in school, not a lot of people used ASL.

"There are certain situations where schools are resistant to offering ASL because they still don’t recognize it is a research-valid bonafide language just like every other language," Wiggins said.

But Wiggins is hopeful that increased representation of the deaf community in media, including the Oscar-winning movie Coda, and more prevalence of ASL on social media are helping build a bridge.

"The only difference between hearing people and deaf people is that we communicate just a little bit differently, that’s it," she said.

That bridge is especially important with a shortage of workers who know ASL, may it be interpreters or people working in health care such as nurses or psychologists.

A shortage of workers skilled in ASL 

"For example, suppose you are a psychology major, and you have a patient in a treatment center who happens to be deaf. You wouldn't be interpreting, you would give that deaf person a connection they wouldn’t find otherwise in any other treatment center," Wiggins said. "That connection for the deaf community in these settings is really important. It’s important to their health, mental health, and otherwise."

"My hope with this position is to inspire others to go into those fields of interpreting and deaf education, because I know there’s a shortage," McCauley said.

That’s exactly what she’s doing for some of her students.

Signs of good things to come

"I actually want to minister to the deaf community," Block said, adding that she wants to make religious services more accessible. 

"I know for sure I want ASL to be a big part of my future career," Gnadt said, may that be in a therapy or medical setting. "I think the community’s so under-served, and especially with mental health. A lot of deaf people don’t have access to it."

The students and their hopes for the future may be signs of good things to come.

"I hope that this inspires other high schools to take this on," McCauley said, adding that she encourages everyone to check out an ASL educational video or two on YouTube. "You as a hearing person are missing out by not putting yourself in an awkward situation outside your comfort zone."

Students are coming away with the lesson that you don’t have to hear to listen.

"I’m going to do whatever I can to pursue and help pay it back in the deaf community, what I learned," Gnadt said.