Goals & Mission Statement

ASL to English
Reduce my reliance on ASL gloss and produce more natural English output 

• Specific - My goal is to get better at knowing when ASL gloss actually helps the meaning and when I need to shift into more natural-sounding English. I don’t want to default to glossing or avoid it completely, I want to make smarter, intentional choices based on the message. 

• Measurable - I’ll check my progress by reviewing a weekly 3–5 minute ASL to English sample and picking out at least three spots where keeping the gloss made sense and three spots where changing it improved the English. I’ll keep track of these and talk through patterns with my mentor. 

• Attainable - This feels doable during an internship block because I’ll have regular practice, real ASL input, and mentor feedback to help me notice what’s working and what’s not. 

• Relevant - This goal is relevant because being able to tell when gloss supports the message (and when it gets in the way) directly strengthens my overall interpreting skills.  

• Timely - I’ll work on this throughout my first 8-week internship block. I’ll check in halfway through to see what’s improving and adjust my practice if I need to so I’m making steady progress by the end. 

English to ASL

Use classifiers more consistently and intentionally

• Specific - My goal is to get more consistent and confident with using classifiers in my ASL production. Instead of hesitating or defaulting to basic signs, I want to actually use classifiers to show shapes, movement, location, and relationships when the message calls for it. 

• Measurable - I’ll track my progress by reviewing weekly ASL sample of 3–5 minutes and identifying at least three moments where a classifier was appropriate. I’ll note whether I used it or skipped it, and write down why. I’ll go over these patterns with my mentor so we can see what’s improving. 

• Attainable - This goal is doable during an 8-week internship block because I’ll have regular chances to practice ASL production, copy-signing, and visualization drills. With consistent feedback, building stronger habits around using classifiers is realistic. 

• Relevant - This goal is relevant because classifiers are a major part of clear, visual ASL. Using them naturally and confidently will make my interpretations more visual, accurate, and engaging.

• Timely - I’ll focus on this throughout my first 8-week internship block, checking in halfway to see if I’m using classifiers more consistently and adjusting my practice if needed so I’m making steady progress by the end.