This course concentrates on developing basic principles and skills of American Sign Language (ASL) through cultural appreciation and non-verbal instruction. Emphasis is placed on Deaf culture and Deaf people in history, visual training, sign vocabulary acquisition, comprehension and communicative skills development, as well as basic structural and grammatical patterns of ASL discourse at the beginning level. Writing assignments, as appropriate to the discipline, are part of the course. This course is taught in American Sign Language.

This course offers further development of novice ASL skills in comprehension and expression. A continued emphasis on the acquisition of ASL vocabulary, fingerspelling, structures and grammatical patterns necessary for comprehension of standard signed ASL at the beginning/intermediate level. Non-verbal techniques are employed further to enhance the students’ complex non-manual grammatical structures. Writing assignments, as appropriate to the discipline, are part of the course. This course is taught in American Sign Language.

This course is a review of ASL grammar with special emphasis upon idiomatic constructions. This course further developments conversational techniques focusing on expressive, as well as receptive skills, intermediate level vocabulary expansion, ASL structural and grammatical patterns necessary for comprehension of standard ASL at the intermediate level. This course includes an expanded discussion of Deaf cultural issues and daily life. Writing assignments, as appropriate to the discipline, are part of the course. This course is taught in American Sign Language.

This course expands students’ expressive and receptive abilities through advanced grammatical structures, extended narratives, and discussions of culturally relevant topics at an ASL Intermediate-mid/high level. Students refine discourse level signing, apply complex features such as conditionals, rhetorical questions, classifiers, and multiple meaning signs, and participate in live presentations and real world community interactions. Emphasis is placed on enhancing fluency, cultural competency, and confidence in communication within the Deaf community. Writing assignments, as appropriate to the discipline, are included. This course is taught in American Sign Language.

An introduction to the culture and values of Deaf people in North America as reflected in language, literature, art, history, political and social events. This course examines ethnic and cultural diversity within the American Deaf community, specifically the Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and LGBTQIA+ people. Students will explore how biases and stereotypes form, commit to self-reflection and analysis, and consider how these factors may impact the work of Deaf, BIPOC, and non-BIPOC interpreters. Students will also examine diverse organizations representing Deaf ethnic and cultural groups, further developing their critical thinking and individual resources. Writing assignments, as appropriate to the discipline, are included. This course is taught in American Sign Language with English interpretation.