Second Modality Implications on the Second Language Acquisition of ASL/English Interpreting Students

American Sign Language (ASL) takes seven years to gain fluency, meaning ASL/English interpreting (ASLI) students in four-year programs are potentially not fully prepared upon graduation. While there is barely adequate research presenting the differences in learning a second language (L2) as a new modality compared to the same modality of the first language (L1), insufficient research exists detailing the implications of these differences on ASLI students and how to compensate for them. This theoretical qualitative study is aimed at revealing the implications of learning a new modality alongside a second language (L2M2) for ASLI students in four-year programs. Quasi-structured yet diligent interviews take place in this theoretical study with interpreting juniors in four-year English to Spanish/ASL/Mandarin/Arabic programs in America in April 2025. The data may reveal the following themes: (1) ASLI students acquire vocabulary quicker and grammar slower, (2) ASLI students’ new use of articulators demonstrates a lack of consistency in their acquisition journey, and (3) ASLI students’ reception of their L2 takes longer to cultivate. The implications of this data reveal that second language acquisition (SLA) classes within ASLI programs should not use traditional SLA pedagogy; rather, ASL-specific SLA pedagogical methods. Determining what these methods are is the future direction of this research. Keywords: American Sign Language, interpreting, first language, second language, modality, pedagogy,