Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
Course Syllabus
ASL 2010
Second Year American Sign Language – Part 1
Semster and Year
Time and Days
Instructor's Name
Instructor's Office Hours
Instructor's Email Address
Prerequisites
ASL 1020 with a grade of C or better, or equivalent course work or experience.
Course Overview and Objectives
The principal aims of this intermediate-level ASL course are to continue developing
communicative skills, as well as knowledge regarding Deaf culture and history, by following the
National Standards in foreign language learning: communication, cultures, connections, comparisons,
and communities. (Kurz & Taylor, 2008).
1-Communication: express and comprehend messages in small groups with teachers and
classmates on common topics
2-Culture: compare and analyze beliefs, values, and attitudes within Deaf culture, as well as
attitudes reflected in products found in Deaf culture
3-Connection: converse in small groups about other disciplines and/or about viewpoints of
Deaf people
4-Comparison: converse in small groups comparing and contrasting ASL and Deaf culture
with another language and culture
5-Community: converse in small groups with the Deaf community outside the classroom
Course Benchmarks
At the conclusion of this course, successful students will be able to:
 Compare and analyze beliefs, values, and attitudes within Deaf culture, as well as attitudes
reflected in products found in Deaf culture
 Understand and describe basic layouts of rooms and furniture
 Identify and describe objects using simple classifiers
 Understand and make complaints, suggestions, and requests
 Understand and discuss personal events and daily activities
Required Textbook & Materials
1- Signing Naturally Level 2 Workbook and DVD
2- A Journey Into The Deaf-World by Lane, Hoffmeister, & Bahan (or Deaf Again by Mark
Drolsbaugh, as determined by the instructor).
Course Requirements
In order to meet the course objectives, the following requirements were developed:
IN CLASS PERFORMANCE AND PARTICIPATION
Daily attendance is required. Consistent and enthusiastic participation in class is expected.
Students who miss class or are habitually late will lose points for attendance, their homework will be
late or not accepted, and they may miss quizzes, exams or other assignments that cannot be made
up.
WORKBOOK
Workbook assignments will be made on a regular basis, based on class lectures and
discussions.
CULTURE READING AND RESPONSES
There will be a number of readings and responses required from your text A Journey Into the
Deaf World.
DEAF ACTIVITIES
Learning ASL is more than learning a language. It is also important to learn about Deaf
people, their culture, and how they communicate in everyday life. For this reason, at least two
deaf activities or experiences will be required in this course.
LAB ATTENDANCE
To increase your exposure to a variety of signing styles, and to improve your ASL receptive
and expressive skills, attendance in the Foreign Language Lab is required. (This assignment
isn't required until adequate materials are aquired for lab use.)
EXAMS AND QUIZZES
QUIZZES
There will be quizzes from time to time throughout the semester. These may or may not be
announced. They may involve ASL comprehension and/or signing ability, or knowledge of
cultural and historical information studied up to that point in the course. Quizzes may not be
made up due to absence or tardiness.
INTERVIEWS
Each student will have at least one interview during the course of the semester. Interviews will
be in ASL and may be conducted one-on-one or in groups. These interviews will resemble
conversations and will attempt to assess general proficiency—they will not include a laundry
list of prepared questions and answers on a prepared or predetermined topic.
MIDTERM AND FINAL EXAMS
Each student will have two exams, one at midterm and the other at the end of the semester.
Material will come from form course discussions, lectures, readings, and homework
assignments, primarily based on Deaf history, culture, and norms.
The final exam will
be administered at the scheduled time during finals week.
Policies
LANGUAGE USE
For optimal learning and experience, only ASL will be used before, during, and after class.
Use of spoken or whispered English during class will result in loss of points and possibly a
poor grade in this class. One-on-one appointments made with the instructor may be
conducted in either ASL or spoken English.
ATTENDANCE
Consistent, punctual attendance and enthusiastic participation are necessary to succeed and
receive good grades in this class.
LATE WORK & MAKE UP
Course work must be turned in on time and exams taken when administered to the class.
PLAGIARISM
It is expected that students will submit their own work. A complete description of cheating and
plagiarism can be found in the WSU Student Code (Section IV, Part D, Paragraph 2).
Plagiarism will result in failure on an assignment or in the course, or being reported to
appropriate University personnel, depending on its severity. On the other hand, students are
encouraged to collaborate on assignments and to have others read their work and give
comments and suggestions before turning work in.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Any student requiring accommodations or services due to a disability must contact Services for
Students with Disabilities (SSD) in room 181 of the Student Service Center. SSD can also
arrange to provide course materials (including this syllabus) in alternative formats if necessary.
If you require accommodations for this course, please make an appointment to see me as
soon as possible.
EMERGENCY CLOSURE
If for any reason the university is forced to close for an extended period of time, we will
conduct our class [via e-mail, WebCT, Blackboard, etc.]. Look for announcements on [Weber
e-mail, our listserv, etc.].
Grading
Your grade in ASL 2010 will be determined as follows:
Attendance & Participation
Workbook
Culture Reading & Responses
Other Homework
Deaf Activities
Lab Attendance
Quizzes
Midterm Interview & Exam
Final Interview & Exam
[pts. or %]
[Date or comment]
TOTAL
Letter grades will be assigned using the following scale:
A
93 - 100 %
points if used
C
A90 - 92 %
CB+
87 - 89 %
D+
B
83 - 86 %
D
B80 - 82 %
DC+
77 - 79 %
E
73 - 76 %
70 - 72 %
67 - 69 %
63 - 66 %
60 - 62 %
0 - 59 %
Calendar
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Dates
Topic
Final Exam: day, date, time, place
Assignment
WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY
Department of Foreign Languages
ASL COURSE BENCHMARKS • 2010
The focus in proficiency is on what the students can do rather than on what they know.
ASL 2010 – Second Year American Sign Language I (3) NOVICE HIGH
Continuation of 1020. Assumes completion of first-year or equivalent experience. Students learn to understand and express ideas
about their community and the world. Includes listening, speaking, reading, writing and culture.
WSU Catalog, 2010-11


The entry proficiency is presumed to be Novice Mid.
The ending proficiency expectation is Novice High
TEXTS

Signing Naturally 2, Workbook and DVD

A Journey Into the Deaf-World by Lane,
Hoffmeister, & Bahan, or Deaf Again by Mark
Drolsbaugh, as determined by the instructor
At the university, ASL 2010 meets for approximately 45
hours. Each student is expected to have his or her own book
and to complete workbook and other assignments, generally
outside of class. This implies a homework load of at least 1 or
2 hours for every hour spent in class. The total hour
requirement for ASL 2010 is 90 to 140 hours.
GENERAL PROFICIENCY PROGRESS INDICATORS
At the end of ASL 2010 students should be able to
 Recognize and understand commonly used words,
phrases and expressions.
 Use visual and contextual clues to assist in
comprehension.
 Sometimes recognize previously learned material
when presented in new context.
CULTURE, RECEPTIVE AND EXPRESSIVE
BENCHMARKS
Successful students will be able to:
 Compare and analyze beliefs, values, and attitudes
within Deaf culture, as well as attitudes reflected in
products found in Deaf culture
 Understand and describe basic layouts of rooms and
furniture
 Identify and describe objects using simple classifiers
 Understand and make complaints, suggestions, and
requests
 Understand and discuss personal events and daily
activities
ASSESSMENT
Students completing ASL 2010 will be required to:
 Enroll in ASL 2010.
 Participate actively in the course throughout the
term.
 Complete at least two oral interviews, one at
midterm and the other near the end of the course.
 Display spontaneous expressive and receptive
abilities (see below).
 Attend and participate in a minimum of two Deaf
activities.
TOPICS
 All of the topics from ASL 1010 and 1020, plus
 Location Things Around the House
 Complaining, Making Suggestions and Requests
 Exchanging Personal Information, Life Events
 Describing and Identifying Things
 Talking About the Weekend