Welcoming new graduate students to Gallaudet’s culture and language

Annabelle Mills, an incoming speech therapy student from Greensboro, shakes her head as she carefully signs: “Last year I took a Deaf Culture class and I thought I was ready for Gallaudet, but actually, I knew very little!” 

At some graduate school orientations, new students may get emailed their list of courses and a map of campus. Only at Gallaudet do you get an in-depth, two-week cultural and linguistic immersive experience.

Open to all matriculated graduate students, the fourth annual Graduate Languaculture Immersion Program, or GLIP, welcomed 22 students during the first two weeks of August. Originally developed as a collaboration between the Office of the Chief Bilingual Officer and the Graduate School, this year’s cohort mainly comes from Hearing, Speech, and Language Sciences (HSLS) programs, with representation from the Psychology, Deaf Studies, and International Development Programs.

Most of the participants are brand new to Gallaudet, from the US, and can hear, although there are also a few Deaf or hard of hearing international students who are learning American Sign Language (ASL). GLIP helps them transition to Gallaudet’s signing campus by developing their understanding of ASL, Deaf cultures, and social etiquette. 

Associate Dean of the Graduate School, Dr. beth gibbons, runs GLIP to provide new students with opportunities “to ensure a positive experience and a strong sense of belonging.” During a presentation on the linguistic diversity of Gallaudet, she warmly encourages students to “think deeply about your role on campus, and how you show respect.”

Mills says a different kind of stamina and “new energy” is needed for GLIP, and she has more confidence to start at Gallaudet with a new mindset. “In GLIP, it’s easy to ask hard questions, and to learn that it’s ok to admit when we don’t understand something.” Similarly, Andrew Ceglia, an Audiology student from the Philadelphia area, says, “I was very nervous before–it was hard to get everything, but now I understand it’s ok not to understand. I’m learning and I feel better about listening and trying.” 

Linguistics Professor Dr. Deborah Chen Pichler joins GLIP for the first time this year as faculty coordinator. On their first day, she asks students to reflect on their development over the course of the two weeks. She challenges them around language skills, asking if they can “hold some curiosity and be fascinated,” rather than be frustrated, and to ask themselves daily, “What’s one new thing I learned today about ASL?” She says after 23 years at Gallaudet, she can still find new answers to that question. 

Peer Leaders usher in new students with care

Three Peer Leaders, who are current or recent graduate students themselves, accompany the new students through their two-week immersive journey. New speech therapy student, Shirley Smit, says one of her favorite parts of GLIP is socializing with the Peer Leaders. “They explain so much about their experiences here at Gallaudet, and have given us a lot of information about what to expect on campus,” she says. 

James “JMac” McGowan, ’12 & G-’24, is a recent graduate of MASLED (Master’s in Sign Language Education). He is working as a Peer Leader for the third year in a row because he says he loves socializing and seeing people grow. “That’s the point of the program!” he says. “Starting on campus without any introduction can be overwhelming. This way, students get a warm welcome and can get a little more comfortable before everyone else arrives.”

Two second-year Deaf Studies graduate students join JMac as Peer Leaders this year. LaToya “Toya” Plummer ’22 says she joined GLIP as a Peer leader because she loves the university community and seeing its growth. “I like being with people as they experience a new culture and language,” she says. “Not everyone is going to be an expert on language right out of the gate. This program helps students prepare and apply their skills to everyday situations when they are here at Gallaudet, interacting with Deaf community members.”

Peer Leader Molly Headrick ’24 participated in JumpStart ASL in 2022 when she was a new student and noticed parallels between herself and GLIP participants. “I grew up as a mainstream student, and Gallaudet was the first deaf school I attended. When I applied for this job, I saw myself in the students’ shoes: feeling discombobulated in a new environment, a new school, and maybe experiencing culture shock,” she says. After a few years living in the DMV area, she says she loves passing along that information to the next batch of students and appreciates their efforts to learn. “They have to do a lot of learning of specific cultural norms that are accepted by the community or not, and be open to advice and guidance,” she says.

Next on the Schedule: Learning, socializing, and being playful

GLIP is energetic and highly participatory. It’s a “no voice zone,” where everyone signs, and all other methods to communicate are encouraged, including using whiteboards and gestures. Peer leaders and GLIP organizers emphasize being supportive and open to each other’s language abilities and skills, drawing on disability studies frameworks to reject ableist assumptions of “good” language being fluent, fast, and beautiful (Henner & Robinson, 2021). Student Eloise Wendt says the immersive, all-day voice-off experience “helps a lot in improving my signing,” while others especially enjoy learning ASL slang and when to use it.

The program includes a mix of activities. Every morning, participants attend interactive “FYI Sessions” that offer critical, info-packed presentations on a wide range of issues that students will encounter and can draw on throughout their journeys at Gallaudet. Topics range from Deaf Culture 101, Deaf Space, and Black Deaf Culture, to Bilingualism and Allyship, collections of ASL for research, how-tos on working with interpreters, and supporting DeafBlind inclusion. Gallaudet’s resident experts present on each topic, introducing students to some of its stellar faculty. Each morning, two ASL idioms are also covered, and students are challenged to both use the idioms and to identify when idioms are used. 

Indian student Brijesh Barot, who is Deaf and starting a Master’s in Deaf Studies, was especially impacted by a presentation on Deaf Gain by Professor Dr. H-Dirksen L. Bauman, and finds GLIP a great opportunity to socialize with new friends. A native signer of Indian Sign Language, he says his main challenge is keeping up with the speedy ASL. 

Originally from Zambia, Francis Phiri, who is also starting a Master’s in Deaf Studies, agrees that GLIP not only benefits hearing students. “I’ve already made new friends, and the presentations are great. I mean Deaf Gain…wow! It’s given me a taste of what to expect, and it is really exciting,” he says. Phiri also enjoys the afternoon games immensely.

Team-based games encourage students to be active, play, and participate in discussion. “Let’s get Visual” is a set of games to improve visual gestural communication. “Gally That!” covers situations that may come up on campus and how to navigate them. 

Since almost all the students are from outside the DC area, fun off-campus activities are offered in the evenings, such as visiting Planet Word Museum, Trivia night at Cooked Run Fermentation, Sip & Sign at Streetcar 82 Brewing Co., and Drive-in movie night at Union Market. There was a group field trip to the signing Starbucks store, and this year GLIP students got a special treat watching Big Ocean, a Deaf and hard-of-hearing K-Pop group.

GLIP’s unique structure offers students confidence to navigate a new culture and language, and sparks friendships as they do it together. “It’s nice to come in already knowing people. Now I know a few faces and I appreciate that,” says Audiology student Grace Kerr.

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