American Sign Language

This course is designed for those with little or no experience in American Sign Language. Everyday communication is the centerpiece, as students learn conversational strategies through interactive exercises. Topics revolve around sharing information about the environment and each other. Grammar is introduced in context, with an emphasis on developing question and answering skills.

Students will build upon sign language skills learned in SIGN 1503. Emphasis is on continued development and refinement of comprehension, production, grammar, and interpersonal skills. Information about Deaf community and Deaf culture will be introduced.

This course provides targeted development to advance students' skills in fingerspelled word recognition and numbering systems used in American Sign Language. Students will practice specific skills to become proficient in recognizing fingerspelled words and numbers in context. In addition to receptive skill development, students will hone their articulation and production of fingerspelling and numbering.

This course introduces American Deaf culture and provides a comprehensive analysis of how Deaf people are understood from a cultural perspective. The identities, contributions, and experiences of Deaf people, as well as definitions, norms, tensions, diversity, evolution and history of the culture are explored.

The foundational skills and knowledge learned in SIGN 1513 and SIGN 1523 continue in this course. Emphasis will be on the expansion and refinement of comprehension, production, and interactional skills. Students will also learn more complex grammatical abilities through expressive and receptive narratives and dialogues.

This course teaches the concepts of linguistics pertaining to American Sign Language. The fundamental areas of linguistics (phonology, morphology, syntax, and use of language) will be introduced, compared and contrasted with phonological, morphological and syntactical and sociolinguistic structures of American Sign Language.

This course is a continuation of SIGN 2523, focusing on comprehension and production skills including complex grammar, short stories, narratives, and interactive use of American Sign Language as well as the rich aspects of American Sign Language Literature. Students will continue an in-depth study of the Deaf community and the global Deaf culture.