As one of the fastest-growing and most widely studied languages in higher education across the United States, American Sign Language (ASL) will be introduced at Oxford Academy as a new course starting  for the 2026-2027 school year. This dual enrollment course, like many offered before it, will be provided through a partnership with Cypress College. This new course aims to expand original and unique learning opportunities for students beyond the standard coursework. Despite it being an official language, the new Dual Enrollment ASL class will not be considered a world language class per the official Course Description Catalog from Oxford Academy, and students will have to continue to complete their required three years of a foreign language outside of this elective course. 

“I wanted to take the ASL course because I have taken an ASL class before and have some basic knowledge of the language. I was hoping to learn more about sign language grammar and improving my vocabulary,” said sophomore Amy Dang, a student for the new ASL class next year. 

The class will be embedded into students’ schedules as an after-school, asynchronous course; for a full school year, students will be enrolled in ASL 101 and then ASL 102 in the second semester. Each course is an “…introduction to the fundamentals of American Sign Language and Deaf culture,” according to the official Cypress College Course Descriptions Handbook, and offers four units after completion. Each semester class can either be added as a Letter Grade format (the conventional A-F grading scale that students are familiar with) or a Pass/No Pass format.

The course will focus on historical, artistic, and cultural influences of the Deaf community within mainstream society, while also emphasizing awareness of and respect for Deaf culture. As a part of the curriculum, students will also have the opportunity to attend a Deaf cultural event outside of class time and engage with the community.  

“I think ASL is a great language for everyone to know inside and outside of the Deaf community,” Dang said. “There are plenty of situations where we could benefit from nonverbal communication. It is both a fun way to communicate with your friends in crowded areas and it helps break the language barrier between people who are Deaf or nonverbal.”