ASL 111 - American Sign Language 1

3 credit hours - Three hours weekly; one term.
This course meets the Arts & Humanities General Education Requirement.

Survey current systems of manual communications with an emphasis on American Sign Language. Focus on the manual alphabet, fingerspelling and vocabulary acquisition as well as on syntactical and grammatical structures that govern the language. Upon completion, students will have studied approximately 500 lexical sign items and be able to communicate in a rudimentary manner with deaf and hard-of-hearing children and adults.

Location(s) Typically Offered: Arnold Main Campus (MC)

Term(s) Typically Offered: Fall and spring

Course Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Communicate in beginner conversations using basic ASL vocabulary, grammar, and non-manual signals to engage in introductory interactions with Deaf people.
Integrate communication strategies to confirm and correct information, retell information and stories, describe people, and give directions.
Apply language-learning skills to interact in the Deaf community.
Demonstrate respect for and understanding of Deaf people and ASL, with an appreciation for their linguistic and cultural diversity.
Formulate comparisons between students’ cultural experiences and the cultural products, practices, and perspectives of Deaf communities.