American Sign Language Proficiency Interview

The American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (ASLPI) is a holistic language evaluation used to determine global ASL proficiency on a scale of 0-5. Through a face-to-face interview, proficiency will be assessed based on what the individual can do with the target language at a given point in time. 

Who is this service for?

• Schools (including colleges and universities)
• Organizations serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals 
• Specialized Services Agencies serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing Clients
• Federal, Territorial and Provincial Governments
• Deaf Clubs
• ASL-English Interpreting Services Agencies
• Professionals working with Deaf staff, Deaf students, and Deaf children
• Mental Health Organizations

The ASL Proficiency Interview (ASLPI) can be used to evaluate individuals in a variety of professions including teachers, educational assistants, social workers, ASL instructors, ASL-English interpreters, Deaf interpreters, language acquired support workers, nurses, and counsellors.

Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf and ASLPI

The CCSD maintains a list of all interviewers who have been assessed by ASLPI and granted a satisfactory rating.  CCSD endorses ASLPI to preserve and protect ASL as a language in its true form as this assessment tool only focuses on the expected features of ASL as used by the Deaf community.

The Accessible Canada Act recognizes Indigenous Sign Languages, American Language (ASL), and la langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) as primary languages of Deaf Canadians. ASL regulation 298 under the Education Act in Ontario and acts pertaining to ASL in Alberta and Manitoba have acknowledged ASL as the language to be used.

Over thirty years, ASL has been recognized as a fully developed rule-governed language used by most of the Deaf community in Canada and used by hearing people as their second language for speeches, political meetings and at the workplace.

The need for an effective standardized tool for the evaluating and encouragement of skill development has grown considerably. This also coincides with the need for trained individuals to administer the ASLPI. To work with Deaf people, an administrator is required to have a minimum ASLPI Level 4 or higher.

Interview Process

The ASLPI is conducted in a conversational setting. Knowledge of facts is not tested. The purpose of the ASLPI is to assess an individual’s level of signing proficiency.

The candidate and interviewer sit facing each other for the assessment. The session is video-recorded and the interview process lasts approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Interviews assess the candidate’s level of proficiency including pronunciation, production, grammatical accuracy, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension

Proficiency level rating will be assigned based on a scale between 0 and 5:

Fees for ASLPI Testing Placement

1. The fee for SLIC Individual membership is $25.00. Require SLIC Individual Membership separate form.
2. The fee for ASLPI Testing Placement is $200. For booking ASLPI testing placement, please contact Victoria Meusel, SLIC Administration Assistant at info@slicanada.ca

Download the ASLPI Application Form:

Two Payment options:

• Provide your credit card info Attn: Victoria Meusel, Administrative Assistant at info@slicanada.ca
• e-Transfer payments to info@slicanada.ca

Any questions, please email:  info@slicanada.ca

Registered Charitable Number:  11883 0702 RR0001

Qualified Signers

All teachers of Deaf, educational assistants, interpreters, Deaf interpreters and early childhood educators are required to have a Level 4 rating or higher. Level 4 rating indicates fluent ability to make symbols with the hands and demonstrates a strong understanding of ASL and the ability to connect Deaf children with their peers and environment.

The assessment can be used as a tool during the hiring process of qualified ASL signers. Many school districts have struggled with identifying the level of the ASL signer, specifically when the course or program is delivered online. Online courses are designed for one-way learning and lack the interactive component proving it to be difficult to accurately assess the signing ability level.  

For additional information on the ASLPI proficiency levels:
https://www.gallaudet.edu/the-american-sign-language-proficiency-interview/aslpi

Video Samples on ASLPI Levels:
https://www.gallaudet.edu/the-american-sign-language-proficiency-interview/aslpi/aslpi-proficiency-levels

Source: Gallaudet University