American Sign Language

This is an introductory course in American Sign Language, which is designed to teach basic skills in ASL and to teach an awareness of various aspects of Deaf culture. ASL 101 introduces the fundamentals of American Sign Language (ASL) used by the Deaf community, including basic vocabulary, syntax, fingerspelling, and grammatical non-manual signals. The course focuses on communicative competence and teaches gestural skills as a foundation for ASL. In addition, the course introduces cultural knowledge; students will increase their awareness and understanding of the Deaf community, a significant subculture in both the U.S. and throughout the world.