Course Description
Development of intermediate American Sign Language and the continued study of American Deaf Community culture. Emphasis on active comprehension and expression in culturally appropriate signs, and on applied vocabulary. Prerequisite: ASL 102 or SES 102 or permission of instructor; Students with previous knowledge of ASL are required to take the placement test. Students who are native or heritage ASL signers MUST obtain permission from the instructor before enrolling in the course. No academic credit will be given without department permission if students have already earned credit for an equivalent or higher-level course or have been placed into a higher-level course.
Syllabus
Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:
Students successfully completing this course will be able to:
Vocabulary Development
- Recognize and produce vocabulary items in each unit.
- Demonstrate comprehensive mastery of targeted vocabulary words drawn from class items, lectures, and videos.
Grammatical Features
- Demonstrate comprehensive mastery of target, content-specific commands, questions, and statements in ASL.
- Identify grammatical features within short dialogues in ASL directed by the professor.
Conversational and Communication Skills
- Demonstrate comprehension and conversation facilitating behaviors.
- Demonstrate comprehension and production of regulating behaviors (i.e. attention-getting techniques, turn-taking signals, and others)
- Comprehend short narratives and stories in ASL signed by the professor, Deaf ASL speakers, or ASL videos added by the professor.
- Demonstrate the ability to create, conduct, and terminate a short content-specific conversation.
Cultural Awareness
- Analyze and critique competing perspectives of diverse Deaf Communities in the United States and Canada, ideas, aesthetic traditions, and cultural practices, and its history.
- Compare, contrast, and interpret differences and commonalities among Deaf and hearing cultures.
Course Grading Information:
Major Assignments and Grade Distribution
| Activity/Performance Measure | Percentage/Points |
|---|---|
| Assignments – Practice Worksheets, Conversation Starter Worksheets, Unit Deaf Tales and Traditions, Short Videos | 25% |
| Assessments – SnapShot Quizzes, Comprehension Quizzes | 35% |
| Unit Tests & ASL Interaction Paper – Unit Narrative Comprehension, Unit Comprehension Test, Unit Production Prompt Test, ASL/Deaf Interaction Paper | 40% |
Grading Scale
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 93–100 | A |
| 90–92 | A- |
| 88–89 | B+ |
| 83–87 | B |
| 80–82 | B- |
| 78–79 | C+ |
| 73–77 | C |
| 70–72 | C- |
| 68–69 | D+ |
| 63–67 | D |
| 60–62 | D- |
| 0–59 | F |
Attendance/Participation:
Regular attendance in person in the classroom is required for success in acquiring a second language. Attendance will be taken each time class meets. You are expected to attend class on time. Absences will affect your grade, as will tardiness, early departures, and regularly entering and leaving the room while class is in session.
Because certain circumstances may prevent your attendance, you are allowed 3 absences. After 3 absences, 2 points will be deducted from the final numerical grade for each subsequent absence.
Course Materials Purchased by the Students:
TRUE+WAY ASL e-Workbook Units 7-9 (4th Edition)
Scholarly Perspectives
This course engages diverse scholarly perspectives to develop critical thinking, analysis, and debate and inclusion of a reading does not imply endorsement.