ASL 111 American Sign Language 1

Lecture Hours: 4
Credits: 4

Introduces the fundamentals of American Sign Language (ASL) used by the Deaf Community, including basic vocabulary, syntax, fingerspelling and grammatical non-manual signals. Develops gestural skills as a foundation for ASL enhancement. ASL questions, commands, and other simple sentence structures are introduced to develop rudimentary conversational skills in ASL short signed or video-recorded. Instructor and students use ASL as the primary language of the class. Course has an online component that requires students to use Internet resources for coursework.

Prerequisite: Placement into WR 115 (or higher), or completion of WR 090 (or higher) with a grade of C or better; Internet skills.
Student Learning Outcomes:

Use mime strategies in place of and to enhance iconicity in ASL.
Self-evaluate and self-correct expressive and receptive signing used at this level (in process or on video).
Clearly finger-spell and understand finger-spelling of single words in context.
Expressively and receptively demonstrate basic survival vocabulary/phrases.
Sign and understand basic statements, questions, and commands.
Demonstrate an ability to understand and use basic ASL classifiers.
Expressively, receptively, and in writing demonstrate knowledge of ASL grammar introduced at this level.
Model and explain in writing Deaf Cultural rules for social interaction introduced at this level.
Correct, confirm, or request rephrasing in ASL.

Content Outline

Mime Strategies
- Readiness for ASL
  - Copy
  - Signer point of view
  - Visual memory
  - Body awareness
  - Peripheral vision
- Use of space
- Common gestures
- Noun-shape vs. function
- Facial expression
- Introduction to verb directionality
- Activities/sports
Finger-spelling
- Placement, posture and rhythm
- Letter groupings
- Vocabulary in context
- Name, states, and abbreviations
Numbers
- 1-100
- Age contractions
Topics/Vocabulary Groupings
- Introductions, exchange personal information
- Age
- Simple educational background
- Family
- Colors
- Animals
- Correcting, confirming
- Food
Tense/Time
- Time line (past-present-future)
- Days of the week
- Time contractions
Sentences
- Simple affirmative
- Simple negative (head shake, none, no, not)
- Simple yes/no question
- Simple “wh” question
- Simple command
- Contrastive structure
- Directional
- Simple requests-clarification, definition
- Simple statement
Pronouns
- Personal
- Possessive
- Plural
Classifiers
- CL:1
- CL:3
- CL:v”
- CL:5”
- Simple circumlocution
Grammar
- To-be’ verb usage
- Pronoun use
- Verb inflection
- Conceptually accurate
- Non-manual features (NMGS)
- Sign parameters
- ASL/MCE continuum-code switching, and a historical perspective
Culture/History
- Name signs
- Deaf President Now (DPN)
- Attention-getting behavior
- Pointing and eye contact
- Introductions
- Accommodations: ADA, TTY, fire alarms, alarm clocks, captioning …
- ASL-not international
- Medical/cultural model
- Perspectives within the Deaf/Deaf Culture