This course is designed to develop conversational discourse and presentation skills in American Sign Language (ASL). It provides students with the foundational knowledge necessary to engage in ASL discourse in basic presentations, dialogues, and group settings. Students will expand their knowledge of ASL vocabulary and linguistic features; identify main ideas, supporting details, and transitions in ASL discourse; improve their ASL comprehension and expression; apply cultural interaction behaviors appropriate to given settings; deliver short presentations in ASL; and learn how to assess their ASL abilities and develop an ASL personal improvement plan.

In this course, students will develop ASL receptive and expressive skills needed to communicate discrete paragraphs using complex connected sentences. At the end of the semester, students will achieve effective communication by using vocabulary, grammar, and cultural protocols for conveying details about less familiar topics at an Intermediate-Mid level as defined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Activities include delivering presentations and lab exercises that provide extensive hands-on practice using a variety of media. Students are expected to engage with members of the Deaf community in order to learn about Deaf co-culture in the United States.

This course expands the basic principles presented in ASL I. ASL II teaches students to use linguistics features, cultural protocols and core vocabulary to function in basic ASL conversations that include ASL grammar for giving directions, describing, making request, talking about family, occupations and routines, and attributing qualities to others.

This course builds upon information taught in Beginning ASL I and II and introduces expanded grammatical features of ASL and specialized vocabulary, while continuing to increase fingerspelling and numbers receptive and expressive skills. In addition, some basic features of ASL discourse are taught in organizing and explaining contextual information.

This course builds upon information taught in Beginning ASL I-Intermediate ASL I. Students continue learning and using ASL vocabulary, grammatical principles and various intermediate-level discourse features in narratives and presentations in ASL. Students analyze multiple meaning English words and English idioms to express concepts in ASL. Issues related to Deaf culture continue to be introduced based on unit topics.

The New Signers Program is an intensive, fast-paced, summer pre-college experience designed for newly admitted deaf and hard-of-hearing students who have little or no prior skill in American Sign Language. Through a variety of learning experiences such as lectures, small group activities, and evening activities where students interact with other deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, students will learn how to use ASL to communicate in real-world conversations and situations that are likely to occur on the college campus. Students will reach at a Novice-Low to Novice-Mid ASL level as recognized by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Interactive evening activities provide opportunities for students to be immersed in deaf culture. Students will also prepare self-reflection journals in which they document their development as signers and members of the Deaf community.