Special Education

American Sign Language Proficiency Interview

The American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (ASLPI) is an evaluation adapted from the Language Proficiency Interview (LPI) developed by the Foreign Service Institute (FSI). The basic idea with this type of evaluation is to find out through an interview what an individual can do with the knowledge and skills he/she has in the target language at a given point in time. The ASLPI is an interactive process between an interviewer and the individual being evaluated. This process is video recorded and holistically scored by a team of evaluators. In accordance with national practices, CSUN uses the ASLPI as a method for measuring ASL fluency with Teacher Candidates.

Procedures

The ASLPI at CSUN is administered through Gallaudet University: ASL Diagnostic and Evaluation Services (ASL-DES). All ASLPIs will be conducted via Video Phone by trained and approved ASLPI Evaluators. A complete description of the ASLPI housed at Gallaudet University can be found at: https://gallaudet.edu/aslpi.xml

CSUN Teacher Candidates (DHH) are required to take the ASLPI and achieve a 3.0 or higher. Deaf Education Program Faculty make final approvals pertaining to the ASLPI. Candidates are responsible for the fees required to take the ASLPI.

ALL interviews conducted via Video Phone MUST BE proctored, and there is an established set of criteria required for the environment with the Video Phone. Candidates can always take the ASLPI anywhere and have someone else proctor the exam as long as the guidelines established by Gallaudet are met. The ASLPI can also be proctored at CSUN. 

Fees are outlined on this web page: https://gallaudet.edu/fees.xml

If you have questions about the ASLPI at CSUN, please contact:

Rachel Friedman Narr, Ph.D. rachel.narr@csun.edu)
Professor, Special Education/Deaf Education
If you have specific questions pertaining to the ASLPI, send email to: ASLPI@gallaudet.edu