Austin Community College
Syllabus for SLNG 2334
American Sign Language V
Master Syllabus
Course Description: Development of proficiency in ASL. Includes instruction in semantic and
grammatical accuracy and appropriate discourse strategies in a variety of communication contexts. Lab
exercises are designed to enhance physical and cognitive skills necessary for ASL/English interpreting.
Learning Outcomes: Students will demonstrate fluent and appropriate communication with
competent/native users of ASL, maintaining a high degree of grammatical accuracy; apply increasingly
complex receptive and expressive skills in ASL discourse; and compare, contrast, and exchange
opinions on current issues in the field of ASL studies.
Required Texts/Materials:
1) Supalla, S. & Bahan B. (1994, DVD edition) American Sign Language Literature Series – Bird of a
Different Feather & For a Decent Living Student Workbook. DawnSignPress: San Diego, CA.
2) Goreact, www.goreact.com
3) Assigned readings and handouts to be given in class.
4) Assigned videos to be watched in the lab.
Student Responsibilities: A student in this course agrees to
- Attend class regularly.
- Be on time.
- Participate fully in class activities.
- Complete all class assignments on or before the due date.
- Take tests on announced dates.
- Refrain from using your voice or interpreting for other student(s) who may not understand
the instructor.
Course Grading System: Your grade will be evaluated regularly on your receptive skills and, at the end
of the semester, on your expressive skills. You will also be evaluated on your preparation for class
activities and your assignments outside of the class.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Semantics
Classifiers
Mirroring/Rephrasing
ASL Literature
Lab
Presentations
20%
20%
20%
10%
10%
20%
Grade Scale:
100 – 90 = Final grade “A”
89 – 80 = Final grade “B”
79 – 70 = Final grade “C”
69 – 60 = Final grade “D”
59 – 0 = Final grade “F”
100%
Assignment - There will be different types of assignments given as homework throughout the semester:
most assignments will be related to the lecture, and students are expected to complete and have the
homework ready to discuss or present in class on the due date. Students will be graded on the
completion of each assignment and participation in class discussions. No assignments will be accepted
after the due date, except under circumstances I deem to be extreme or unique.
Semantics Assignments:
Assignments from lectures and handouts are designed to promote participants’
development of tools to assist in decoding the meaning of sentences they see and
expressing signs, with conceptual accuracy, that reflect the intended meaning. This
assignment will focus on two critical areas of semantics: multiple-meaning sentences and
synonymous meaning. The participants will analyze how the meanings of sentences
impact the relationship between what one person signs and another person understands.
No assignments will be accepted after the due date, except under circumstances I deem to
be extreme or unique.
Classifiers:
Students will watch selected short video clips and prepare to retell the event shown in the
video clips in class using ASL with an emphasis on various classifier genres. Students will
view the clips and rehearse. Students will record their video work via www.goreact.com on
the assigned due date. The video work will be analyzed and discussed with peers and the
instructor during the class.
.
ASL Mirroring/Rephrasing:
Students will view video clips and rehearse and mirror the model’s signing style exactly,
paying special attention to important grammatical features and vocabulary selection. The
objective of this exercise is to challenge the students' signing skills and help them expand
outside of their comfort zone. Students will record their video work via www.goreact.com
on the assigned due date. The video work will be analyzed and discussed with peers and the
instructor during the class.
ASL Literature:
There are two parts to this assignment. Students will answer selected questions from the
American Sign Language Literature Series – Bird of a Different Feather student
workbook/videotext, bring the answers to class, and be ready for discussion in the class on
the due date.
There are two parts to this assignment. Students will answer selected questions from the
American Sign Language Literature Series –For a Decent Living student
workbook/videotext, bring the answers to class, and be ready for discussion in the class on
the due date.
Presentation:
Students will develop various presentation techniques based on two domain areas:
persuasive and informative. The objective of this exercise is to help the students to improve
their academic ASL in order to sign in a range of levels. The students will present a topic of
their choice and present live in the classroom.
Class Participation – You should plan to attend class regularly, inasmuch as the material covered in
class and participation in class discussion are vital to your performance in this course.
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a) The instructor will withdraw any student who has missed more than three non-consecutive
classes. Because you are given a leeway of 3 classes, doctor’s notes and other excuses are not
accepted for absences.
b) Please inform me if you have an exceptional circumstance that causes you to miss class.
All students will be encouraged to participate in class discussions and activities on a regular basis.
“Participation” does not mean giving “right” answers. It means thinking about the material, sharing your
thoughts, paying attention, and giving your best effort.
No Voice/English Mouthing Policy: Avoid voicing or English mouthing during class time. Once the
instructor enters the classroom, please silence yourself and sign with class peers. Talking without
signing in the presence of a Deaf instructor or any Deaf person is considered rude in Deaf culture. Write
notes to each other if you must or SIGN! This NO VOICE rule will be enforced from the beginning until
the end of the class. If you own a pager, or cell phone, please turn it off during class.
**No extra credits except under circumstances I deem to be extreme or unique.**
COURSE POLICIES:
You are responsible for knowing the policies and procedures below. You can pick up a copy of the
Student Handbook at a counseling office at any campus or access it online from our web page
www.austincc.edu. Please take special note of the following: Policies on Academic Dishonesty,
Prohibited Acts, Unattended Children, Children in the Classroom, and Student Discipline Policy.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accommodations:
Refer to the student handbook at www.austincc.edu. Please let me know in writing how I can
accommodate my class to your needs.
Withdrawal Policy
You will be withdrawn if you miss 3 consecutive classes. Refer to the student handbook
(www.austincc.edu) for the withdrawal policy under other circumstances. If you have a very unique or
extreme situation, please discuss it with me. The last day for student-initiated withdrawal is
Monday, November 26, 2012.
Incompletes
Incompletes will be given only under very unique or extreme circumstances.
Important Information
Please feel free to call, email or write me notes about any questions or concerns you may have. You may
also request to meet with me with an interpreter during my office hours or by appointment.
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Tentative Schedule for ASL V
Week 1
Syllabus
Semantics and ASL Parameters
Week 2
Conceptually Accurate Signs, Idioms, and Urban Slangs
Week 3
Phraseology and Lexicalized Fingerspelling
Week 4
Semantics Project
Week 5
Introduction to Classifiers
Week 6
Action Classifiers and Signing Space Classifiers
Week 7
Short Stories Classifiers and Classifiers Analysis
Week 8
Classifier Project
Week 9
Mirroring and Rephrasing Lecture
Week 10
Mirroring and Rephrasing Lecture
Week 11
Mirroring and Rephrasing Project
Week 12
A Bird of a Different Feather/For a Decent Living Discussion
Week 13
Presentation: Introduction to Informative and Persuasive
Week 14
Presentation: Informative
Week 15
Presentation: Persuasive
Week 16
Individual Meeting with instructor
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