American Sign Language Courses (ASL)

ASL Courses

This is a list of courses with the subject code ASL. For more information, see American Sign Language (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) in the catalog.

ASL:1000 First-Year Seminar 1 s.h.

Small discussion class taught by a faculty member; topics chosen by instructor; may include outside activities (e.g., films, lectures, performances, readings) and visits to Deaf Awareness Week events. Requirements: first or second semester standing.

ASL:1001 American Sign Language I 4 s.h.

Introductory conversational skills and basic American Sign Language grammar; introduction to the ASL cultural community through readings and videos. Taught in American Sign Language. GE: World Languages First Level Proficiency.

ASL:1002 American Sign Language II 4 s.h.

Continuation of ASL:1001; emphasis on ASL grammar and syntax; exploration of Deaf culture through readings and videos. Taught in American Sign Language. Prerequisites: ASL:1001. GE: World Languages Second Level Proficiency.

ASL:1101 Fingerspelling and Numbers I 2 s.h.

Development of expressive and receptive American Sign Language fingerspelling, lexicalized fingerspelling, and number skills based on word, phrase, and number recognition. Taught in American Sign Language. Prerequisites: ASL:1002.

ASL:1500 Introduction to Deaf Studies 3 s.h.

Exploration of an overlooked American minority—the Deaf community; students learn to challenge the medical model for deafness with discussions of Deaf experiences, American Sign Language, and Deaf culture. Taught in English.

ASL:2001 American Sign Language III 4 s.h.

Continuation of ASL:1002; emphasis on ASL grammar and the signer's perspective; exploration of Deaf culture through readings and videos. Taught in American Sign Language. Prerequisites: ASL:1002. GE: World Languages Third Level Proficiency.

ASL:2002 American Sign Language IV 4 s.h.

Continuation of ASL:2001; emphasis on spatial and depicting verb vocabulary; improvement of conversational fluency and familiarity with American Deaf culture. Taught in American Sign Language. Prerequisites: ASL:2001. GE: World Languages Fourth Level Proficiency.

ASL:3001 American Sign Language V 4 s.h.

Continuation of ASL:2002; introduction to advanced grammatical constructions and vocabulary; improvement of conversational fluency as well as familiarity with American Deaf culture. Taught in American Sign Language. Prerequisites: ASL:2002 with a minimum grade of C.

ASL:3100 American Sign Language Conversation 3 s.h.

Continuation of ASL:2002; emphasis on receptive and expressive conversational ASL skills through small group discussion and class presentations. Taught in American Sign Language. Prerequisites: ASL:2002 with a minimum grade of C. Requirements: concurrent enrollment in ASL:2002 if not taken as a prerequisite.

ASL:3200 Topics in Deaf Studies 3 s.h.

Current topics in Deaf studies; skill development in communicative fluency in ASL. Taught in American Sign Language. Prerequisites: ASL:2002 with a minimum grade of C. Requirements: students who have not completed ASL:2002, but plan to take ASL:2002 concurrent to this course may enroll with consent of the instructor; please contact the ASL program for more information.

ASL:3300 American Deaf Culture 3 s.h.

Cultural practices, beliefs, and values of the American Deaf community. Taught in American Sign Language. Prerequisites: ASL:2002 with a minimum grade of C. Requirements: students who have not completed ASL:2002, but plan to take ASL:2002 concurrent to this course may enroll with consent of the instructor; please contact the ASL program for more information.

ASL:3400 Issues in ASL and Deaf Studies 3 s.h.

Current issues in American Sign Language and the American Deaf community, such as linguistics, culture, and literacy. Prerequisites: ASL:2002 with a minimum grade of C. Requirements: students who have not completed ASL:2002, but plan to take ASL:2002 concurrent to this course may enroll with consent of the instructor; please contact the ASL program for more information.

ASL:3500 Deafness in the Media 3 s.h.

Exploration of various ways Deaf people are constructed and presented for hearing audiences from the silent film era to current mainstream productions (e.g., commercial television, movies, advertisements). Taught in American Sign Language. Prerequisites: ASL:2002 with a minimum grade of C. Requirements: students who have not completed ASL:2002, but plan to take ASL:2002 concurrent to this course may enroll with consent of the instructor; please contact the ASL program for more information.

ASL:3600 American Sign Language Literature 3 s.h.

Introduction to the world of ASL literature, as recorded on videotape or film and in live performance; traditional folklore, storytelling, poetry, drama, oratory, jokes, and nonfiction narrative; analysis of genres in their social and cultural contexts as expressions of Deaf experience; how historical and current issues in Deaf culture are represented in literary form. Taught in American Sign Language. Prerequisites: ASL:2002 with a minimum grade of C. Requirements: students who have not completed ASL:2002, but plan to take ASL:2002 concurrent to this course may enroll with consent of the instructor; please contact the ASL program for more information.

ASL:3700 Deaf Gain: Reframing Deaf People, Cultures, and Languages 3 s.h.

With advances in genetic research and medical technologies, there may come a point in time when we are asked, "Why should Deaf people and signed languages continue to exist? Introduction to Deaf studies' response to this question—Deaf Gain; students explore the cognitive, cultural, and creative aspects of Deaf Gain to develop an argument for the continued existence of Deaf communities and their signed languages. Taught in American Sign Language. Prerequisites: ASL:2002 with a minimum grade of C. Requirements: students who have not completed ASL:2002, but plan to take ASL:2002 concurrent to this course may enroll with consent of the instructor; please contact the ASL program for more information.

ASL:3800 Independent Study arr.

American Sign Language/Deaf studies topic; individual study.

ASL:4201 History of the American Deaf Community 3-4 s.h.

Students discuss the roots of American Deaf community, exploring the development of a distinct language known today as ASL and the culture of Deaf people in America during 19th and 20th centuries. Taught in American Sign Language. Prerequisites: ASL:2002 with a minimum grade of C. Requirements: students who have not completed ASL:2002, but plan to take ASL:2002 concurrent to this course may enroll with consent of the instructor; please contact the ASL program for more information. Same as HIST:4201.