American Sign Language (ASL)

Formerly SIGN 1 and SIGN 1B. This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of American Sign Language and Deaf culture. It includes development of appropriate linguistic/cultural behaviors and awareness of and respect for Deaf culture.

Formerly SIGN 2 and SIGN 2B. This course is an advanced-beginning American Sign Language class. It includes receptive and expressive conversational skills without voice, grammatical structures of American Sign Language, development of appropriate linguistic/cultural behaviors, and awareness of and respect for Deaf culture.

Formerly SIGN 3. This course is a low-to-mid intermediate-level American Sign Language and Deaf culture class focusing on receptive and expressive conversational skills without voice, using manual and nonmanual, spatial, and temporal grammatical structures. Further study of vocabulary, structure, and narrative techniques will help students develop language fluency to discuss abstract ideas and environments outside the classroom.

Formerly SIGN 4.This course is a mid-to-high intermediate-level ASL class focusing on receptive and expressive ASL skills without voice, using manual and non-manual, spatial, and temporal grammatical structures, and Deaf culture. This course provides an expanded review of ASL vocabulary, syntactical structures, grammatical patterns and current linguistic research and will help students develop language fluency at the advanced level.

The course expands on the students’ knowledge of American Sign Language from Level 1-4. The students will continue to work on and expand ASL expressive and receptive skills. Students will develop and refine intermediate conversational abilities, culturally appropriate behaviors, and learn about the culture and history of Deaf communities.

This course is designed to provide beginning and advanced practice with the sign language component known as fingerspelling. Skill development for expressive and receptive fingerspelling, numerical concepts, and lexicalized signs will enhance the student’s ability to comprehend and utilize fingerspelling with accuracy and clarity.

Introduction to Interpreting, including theories of interpreting, process of interpreting and the history of interpreting. The course will provide a historical framework for the principles, ethics, roles, responsibilities, and standard practices of the interpreting profession.

Students will continue to practice interpreting skills with emphasis on simultaneous and consecutive interpreting. Students will continue to apply theories of interpreting, and process of interpreting while interpreting from ASL to English and from English to ASL.

Formerly SIGN 24. This course will explore the experiences of Deaf people in the United States. This course will foster the investigation of the issues of language, consciousness, cultures, self-representation, identity, and social construction within and between Deaf groups. Focus will be on cultural oppression, power, contributions of folklore, literature, plays, Deaf art, and the impact of modern technology on multiple discourses of Deaf cultures within America.