SL 110 - Introduction to American Sign Language (Level 1)

Credit Hours: 3

An introductory course designed to develop students’ production and comprehension skills in American Sign Language (ASL). Students will acquire vocabulary, understand structure and grammar, and gain proficiency in fingerspelling and numbers. Emphasis is placed on developing basic conversational abilities, culturally appropriate behaviors, and understanding the culture and history of Deaf communities.

Course Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

recognize and produce vocabulary items in each unit;
demonstrate comprehensive mastery of targeted vocabulary words from class items, lectures, and videos;
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;
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;
analyze and critique competing perspectives of diverse Deaf Communities in the United States and Canada, traditions, cultural practices, and history; and
compare, contrast, and interpret differences and commonalities among Deaf and hearing cultures.

F/S, SS (C, N, S)