Motivation of Hearing Students Learning American Sign Language in Community Colleges

This is a qualitative case study on the motivation to learn American Sign Language (ASL) by hearing students at a community college in the United States. Nine ASL students, attending a community college in North Carolina, were interviewed about their primary motivations for learning ASL. Eight motivation categories emerged from the data. The results suggest the motivation varied among hearing students, hence there is a need for programs to understand the various students' motivation to increase student enrollment and retention in the ASL program.