ASL 1140C- American Sign Language I - 1475
ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT:
Dean: Dr. Martha Campbell
Office Location: LA 159
Office Number: (727)791-5904
Instructor/email:
Course type:
Prerequisites:
Course description:
Office
location:
Office
hours:
Academic Chair: Dr. Shirley Oakley
Office Location: LA 159
Office Number: (727)791-2570
Dr. Beth Carlson
mailto:carlsonbeth@spcollege.edu
classroom and lab
N/A
This course is an introduction to American Sign Language (ASL) as used in
the deaf community, and includes a general discussion of ASL structure
with an introduction to a variety of manual communication systems and
philosophies. Emphasis will be on building a basic vocabulary of
approximately five hundred signs and the manual alphabet. Students will
have directed practice with media-generated materials, emphasizing the
development of beginning-level receptive and expressive conversational
practice. Lecture - 47 contact hours. Lab - 30 contact hours.
LA 165 (Clearwater)
On Campus
Virtual Hours
Monday/Wednesday: 8:00-9:15;
12:30-1:45
Tuesday (Tarpon): 8:459:15/10:45-11:00
Tuesday (Clearwater): 11:45-1:00;
2:45-3:00
Thursday (Clearwater): 11:45-1:45
Monday -Thursday: 5:45-6:45 am
Friday: 7:30-8:30
Phone:
727-791-2746
Disabilities
info:
From Student and Educational Services
http://www.spcollege.edu/addendum/#accommodations
Academic
From Student and Educational Services
and Student Reasonable accommodations are available to students who:
Affairs:
 are otherwise qualified for admission to the College
 identify themselves to appropriate College personnel
 Provide acceptable and qualifying documentation to the College.
It is the student's responsibility to provide notice of the nature of the disability to
the College and to assist in identifying appropriate and effective accommodation.
Students must personally identify the need, provide supporting diagnostic test
results and professional evaluations, participate in planning services, and give
adequate notice in requesting accommodation. A Counselor/Learning Specialist in
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the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (OSSD) is assigned to oversee
services on each SPC campus. To call, visit, or e-mail a Counselor/
Learning Specialist, see the list below.
Contact Information by Campus
http://www.spcollege.edu/dr/
Class
meeting
schedule:
Monday/Wednesday: 9:15-10:45
Clearwater Campus LA 108
Textbooks:
Required:
1. Signing Naturally Level I chapters 1-6 by Lentz, Mikos and Smith
ISBN: 1581212100
2. Deaf Again by Mark Drolsbaugh
Hand Wave Publication
ISBN: 9780965746069
3. GoReact by Speakworks
Recommended Text or Other Reading Material:
Library: http://www.spcollege.edu/central/libonline/.
Other
materials/
Media
Protocol:
For this class you must have access to a webcam. Use the ASL Lab.
Protocol for Production of Media Make sure you sign the following information
on each video project.
Your First and Last Name
The Date
The Project Title
When producing visual/gestural material the student must be aware of procedures
that will enhance the production:
Backgrounds





Color of Clothes should be a solid color that contrasts with a student’s skin
color.
Light skinned students wear darker solid color tops.
Darker skinned students wear lighter solid color tops.
Tops should have sleeves; no tank tops, low cut or sleeveless
tops permitted.
Tops should not have distractions: buttons, emblems, and graphics.
Distractions


Hair should be out of the face. Do not wear a hat or chew gum.
Jewelry should not be distracting: dangling earrings, shiny necklace,
sparkly pins
 Midriff and/or shoulders should not be exposed
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Not following protocol will result in points being deducted from the final
grade of the material produced. Exercises from the Student Textbooks will
be assigned each week. You will be prepared to demonstrate their receptive
and expressive sign skills during the class.
Video Assignments: You will be expected to submit digital assignments for
grading. This work will be recorded through GoREACT. Be sure to set up and
save your password as soon as you receive my invitation to the
class. Webcams are available in the ASL Lab. Personal webcams are
acceptable provided media protocol is followed.
Course goals
and
objectives:
Everyday communication is the centerpiece of every lesson. Topics revolve
around sharing information about our environment and us. Grammar is
introduced in context, with an emphasis on developing question and
answering skills. You learn conversational strategies to help you maintain a
conversation. Interaction activities allow you to rehearse what you’ve
learned.
Upon completion of this course, the student will:
Lecture:



Acquire a basic understanding of ASL structure and syntax
by identifying examples of ASL idioms, identifying concepts
of time, use of space, and expression as related to ASL and
recognizing examples of ASL word order.
The student will acquire an understanding of major philosophies
and issues related to deafness by identifying the three major
communication philosophies in the field of deafness, recognizing
basic examples of various communication modes of sign language,
and recognizing examples of basic terminology related to the field
of deafness and American Sign Language.
The student will develop a functional command of a
basic sign vocabulary by identifying in verbal or written
form. A sign presented manually, demonstrating
selected words manually in American Sign Language,
interpreting/transliterating basic sentences from English to ASL and
ASL to English.
Lab:

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
Demonstrate knowledge of and the ability to use the Sign Language
Interpreter Training Program ASL Lab.
Develop a basic level of expertise in the use of media equipment,
including webcams.
Apply additional laboratory experience as a supplement to
reinforce information in Basic ASL.
Develop an awareness of non-verbal gestural communication,
including mime, pantomime, body language and facial expression
understand its application to ASL.
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
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Develop an awareness of the use of sign placement and spatial
relations in ASL.
Develop basic ASL vocabulary through the use of video recording
materials.
Develop a basic knowledge and understanding of grammatical
patterns in ASL through the use of recorded materials.
Develop basic sign visual receptive skills for signs in isolation and in
simple ASL sentences.
Develop a basic ability to understand simple conversational
messages in ASL.
Develop an awareness of deaf culture through exposure to the
signed stories, humor, and folklore of the Deaf Community.
DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
If you must enter the classroom after class has begun, please do so as quietly as
possible. Exercise techniques used in Deaf Culture for interruption. Because
American Sign Language is a visual-gestural language, it is best learned in a
voiceless environment. You are expected to use only sign/fingerspelling and are
discouraged from using your voices in the classroom. Please make use of
techniques for getting the meaning across rather than attempting to make us of
voice if there is a misunderstanding in meaning. The curriculum and the lessons
are designed to help the class and the program meet the five areas of
Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons and Communities outlined
by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).
The curriculum parallels what we know about language development and second
language learning. We focus on introducing language in context and reinforcing
what is learned by engaging you into various interactive activities. A
conversational curriculum requires you to be an active learner. You need to come
prepared to sign with me and other classmates. Our classes are conducted in ASL
from the very first day. You are immersed in the language to maximize your
language learning. I will use gestures, signs, drawings, and act out situations to get
the point across and your job is to keep trying. This may sound unnerving at first,
but trust me, it works!
1) Communication: Exchange information in ASL using short dialogues about
everyday life such as describing people and things, making requests and asking for
advice, describing places, giving opinions about others, and discussing plans and
goals with other students, the instructor, and through video recording activities.
2) Communication: Develop skills in using facial expressions, gestures and
specialized handshapes (classifiers) for communication and descriptive purposes.
3) Communication: Maintain a conversation in ASL with native signers using both
culturally appropriate content and interpersonal skills, and comprehend basic
conversational questions and short discourses.
4) Communication: Develop understanding and use of ASL grammatical principles
including (a) Use of space for referents, (b) Directionality for verb signs, (c)
Modification of signs for degree, and (d) Communicating about more than one
(plurals).
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5) Communication: Develop skills in organizing and delivering narratives in ASL
including (a) Using the appropriate introduction, body, and conclusion, (b)
Grammatical markers for transitions, (c) Role-shifting between two or more
characters, and (d) Use of space.
6) Cultural and Connections: Discuss the view that Deaf people are a culturallinguistic minority group.
7) Comparative: Explore Deaf art and how it expresses the Deaf experience.
8) Comparative: Discuss the rules of social interaction in Deaf culture and compare
them with other cultural norms.
9) Comparative: Understand the Deaf community’s participation in society, and
dispel misrepresentations and stereotypes about them.
10) Comparative: Examine the historical collision between culture and disability in
the Deaf community, including ethical conflicts with the medical model.
11) Comparative: Discuss the intersections which occur within the Deaf
community, the universality of the Deaf experience, and the visions of the future.
12) Community: Attend ASL and Deaf events to continue to develop ASL and Deaf
behavioral norms outside of the classroom.
Note: Each class begins with a graded warm up activity. Being late or missing
class will cause missed assignments which will count against your participation
grade.
Attendance
policy:
The college-wide attendance policy is included in the Syllabus Addendum
http://www.spcollege.edu/addendum/. Since learning a language requires
interacting as with native users and practicing with others on a regular basis,
American Sign Language students will need to attend and participate in all classes
to be successful. Attendance will be tracked during each class and students who in
excessive of four absences will be dropped from the course due to lack of 60%
activity time. For extenuating circumstances, documentation must be presented.
IMPORTANT COLLEGE POLICY REGARDING COURSE DROP-ADD PERIOD AND
AUDIT INFORMATION
http://www.spcollege.edu/addendum/#drop
FEDERAL GUIDELINES RELATED TO FINANCIAL AID AND TOTAL WITHDRAWAL
FROM THE COLLEGE
http://www.spcollege.edu/addendum/#finaid.
Evaluation
process:
Three Unit Tests
30
Three Performance Projects
30
Final Expressive in class
Exit Interview
20
Deaf Again Blog/Test
10
Contact Hours
10
Homework/Participation/Progress 10
Grading
scale:
A = 91-100
B = 81-90
C = 71-80
5
D = 61-70
F = less than 60
ASL Immersion and No Talking Policy:
The curriculum and workbook are designed with the assumption that you use
English as your first language. ASL will be used exclusively in the classroom for two
reasons. First, it is culturally inappropriate to use voice in an ASL environment, or
to not sign in the presence of any Deaf person. Speaking eliminates the Deaf
person, whether intentionally or not, from the communication around them. In
the classroom, it is critical that the instructor, Deaf or hearing, maintain a
culturally appropriate environment so that you can develop the habit of signing in
Deaf-hearing situations. Secondly, you can only become fluent by constantly using
ASL. The more you rely on English to understand ASL, the longer you will remain in
the limbo of being unable to communicate in ASL. You can’t learn a language by
speaking or listening to another language. No language is a direct translation of
another, and concept formation is enhanced by full immersion. Students will not
learn ASL until they actually commit to using it as a living language. The classroom
will become a microcosm of the living world where all meaning is negotiated in
ASL.
Since ASL does not yet have its own standardized writing system, written English is
used to give instructions, and explain some signs in the student workbook.
However, whenever possible I will use pictures and other ways to minimize the use
of English in the classroom.
Assignments
Students should expect to spend at least six weekly hours outside of the classroom
on homework assignments, social hour, study groups, and other ASL related
activities to perform well in this class. Based on past experience, there is a strong
relationship between a student’s attendance, participation, effort on homework
assignments, and getting a good grade in this class.
Written Work/Assignments: All work is due on the date specified on the
schedule. It is due at the beginning of the class period. Late work will not be
accepted past the next class period of a missed class without a 50% reduction in
grade. Written work and assignments should include your name, date assignment
is due, and class title. In class assignments may not be made up.
THE LAB component of this class is conducted as an independent study and is
based on classroom requirements and activities assigned by the instructor. These
assignments will be completed in the ASL lab and will be checked for completion
by the lab assistant. NO Lab assignment will be accepted late and no partial lab
assignments will be accepted; however, a student may turn lab work in early if
they wish. All work is due on the date listed. A grade of “50%” will be assigned for
work not submitted on time. At the time of each test, students need to bring in
their book with completed homework assignments to receive homework credit.
Don’t forget this!
You will have homework after every class, anywhere from 1 to 2 hours of work. It
is important that you do the homework because the next class builds on the
material covered.
Use this space here to write down contact information from at least three
classmates. And, please, if you must miss a class, please do not contact me and
ask if you missed anything in class; YOU DID! Ask your classmates what you
missed.
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Contact 1: _______________________________
Contact 2:________________________________
Contact 3:________________________________
Contact 4:________________________________
Class
calendar:
Week of:
Assignments:
Introduction
Textbook and videotape; course goals/requirements; The Building
Blocks of ASL; Strategies for learning ASL
American Deaf Culture Awareness
8/17-8/19 *Post Introduction in D2L, take Deaf Culture quiz
Fingerspelling
Unit 1: Getting to Know You: 1.1-1.4
*View DVD; review vocabulary and complete textbook exercises
Deaf Again: Read chapters 1-3
Unit 1: Introducing Oneself: 1.5-1.7
Cardinal Numbers 11-15
Same or Different 2
8/24-8/26 Unit 1: Asking Who; Specifying Where; Giving Commands:
1.8-1.10
*View DVD; review vocabulary and complete textbook exercises
Deaf Again: Blog 1 Due
8/31-9/2
Unit 1: Giving Commands cont.; Objects: 1.11-1.12
Following Instructions
Getting Attention
Unit 1 Review, Putting it all Together
Unit 2: Giving Information about Yourself: 2.1-2.3
Identifying Locations: Tic-Tac-Toe
*View DVD; review vocabulary and complete textbook exercises
Deaf Again: Read chapters 4-6; Blog 2 and 3 Due
9/7
Labor Day – College Closed
9/9
Unit 2: Narrating Experience with Languages: 2.4-2.8
Talking about Leisure Activities
Describing Three Types of Shapes
Deaf Again: Read chapters 7–9; Blog 4 and 5 Due
*View DVD; review vocabulary and complete textbook exercises
Unit 2: Identifying People: 2.9-2.12
Culture: Negotiating a Signing
Environment
Asking What Is the Sign
9/14-9/16
Unit 2 Review – Putting it all Together
Unit 6: Practice with Timber Story in class
Video Units 1 and 2 Due – Student Narrative Due in GoReact (9/20)
*View DVD; review vocabulary and complete textbook exercises
Deaf Again: Read chapters 10-12; Blog 6 and 7 Due
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9/21-9/23
Units 1 and 2 test (9/21)
Unit 3: Telling Others Where you Live: 3.1-3.4
Giving commands
Communicating with the Face
Fingerspelling Moving letter Z
*View DVD; review vocabulary and complete textbook exercises
Deaf Again: Read chapters 13-14; Blog 8
Unit 3: Discussing One’s Residence: 3.5-3.8
Giving Basic Directions: Around the Classroom
Identifying Which Square
Cardinal Numbers 30-66
Story Telling Unit 6 – Gum Story 6.5
Unit 3: Talking About Roommates and Pets: 3.9-3.12
9/28-9/30
Giving Basic Directions: Expressing Needs
Fingerspelling Down Letters
Telling How Long
Story Telling Unit 6 – Gum Story 6.6
*View DVD; review vocabulary and complete textbook exercises
Deaf Again: Blog 9 Due
Unit 3: Traveling to School or Work: 3.13-3.15
Identifying Which Square 2
Asking What is the Sign
Practicing Cardinal Numbers 30-66
10/5-10/7 Story Telling Unit 6 – Gum Story 6.7
Unit 3: Review – Putting it all Together
Story Telling Unit 6 – Gum Story 6.8
*View DVD; review vocabulary and complete textbook exercises
Deaf Again Test 10/7
10/1210/14
Unit 4: Talking About Immediate Family: 4.1-4.4
Negations 1
Rocking numbers: 67-98
Have, Like, Want, Need
Unit 4: Talking About Extended Family: 4.8-4.10
Telling How Family Members are Related
Negation 2
Storytelling Unit 6: Gallaudet and Clerc Story 6.10
*View DVD; review vocabulary and complete textbook exercises
10/1910/21
Unit 4: Discussing Family Variation: 4.11-4:13
Practice Cardinal Numbers 1-100
Describing or Acting Out to Get the Meaning Across
Storytelling Unit 6: Gallaudet and Clerc Story 6.11
Unit 4: Commenting on Family Members
Culture: Maintaining a Clear Sightline
Unit 4: Review – Putting it all Together
Storytelling Unit 6: Gallaudet and Clerc Story 6.12
*View DVD; review vocabulary and complete textbook exercises
Video Units 3 and 4 Due: Gum Story or Gallaudet Story Due 10/25
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10/2610/28
Unit 3 and 4 Test (10/26)
Unit 5: Talking about Everyday Activities: 5.1-5.3
Agreement Verbs
Fingerspelling Words with G and H
Storytelling Unit 6: Childhood Story: Wrong Name 6.13; If Only I
could Fly 6.13
*View DVD; review vocabulary and complete textbook exercises
Unit 5: Talking about Chores: 5.4-5.5
Asking if Done
Storytelling Unit 6: Childhood Story: A True Fish Story 6.14
11/2-11/4 Unit 5: Talking about Extended Family: 5.6-5.7
Telling How Often
Storytelling Unit 6: Childhood Story: I Wanna Be Different 6.15
*View DVD; review vocabulary and complete textbook exercises
11/9
Unit 5: Talking about Activities with Others: 5.8-5.9
Talking about What One Does for a Living
Storytelling Unit 6: Childhood Story: There’s a Ghost in My Room
6.16
*View DVD; review vocabulary and complete textbook exercises
11/11
Veteran’s Day - Holiday
11/1611/18
Unit 5 Review- Putting it all Together
Storytelling Unit 6: Childhood Story Guidelines 6.17
Video 5 and 6 (Final): Your Own Childhood Story Due 11/22 in
GoReact
11/23
Unit 5 and 6 Test
11/2511/29
Thanksgiving Holiday!
11/3012/2
Production exam: Exit interviews
12/7
FINAL EXAM: 12/7 (8:00-9:50)
Present Childhood Story in Class
* Dates/assignments may change at the discretion of the instructor
Important
Dates:
College Calendar
http://www.spcollege.edu/calendar/
Class
policies:
Academic Honesty
http://www.spcollege.edu/academichonesty/
Classroom Protocol:
Class discussion periods will be conducted in an orderly fashion. If a student must
enter the classroom after class has begun, please do so as quietly as possible. If a
student has a disagreement with an instructor on a particular graded exercise or
exam question, please see the instructor after class.
Because American Sign Language is a visual-gestural language, it is best learned in
a voiceless environment. Students are expected to use only
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sign/fingerspelling and are discouraged from using their voices in the classroom.
STUDENT EXPECTATIONS
http://www.spcollege.edu/addendum/#expectations
ONLINE STUDENT PARTICIPATION AND CONDUCT GUIDELINES
http://www.spcollege.edu/central/asa/addendum.htm#onlineguide
CAMPUS SAFETY AND SECURITY
http://www.spcollege.edu/addendum/#safety
SEXUAL PREDATOR INFORMATION
http://www.spcollege.edu/addendum/#predatorinfo
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS
http://www.spcollege.edu/addendum/#accommodations
Assignment Book Blog: A journal will be kept throughout the semester in which the student
&
will respond to chapter readings from Deaf Again. A comprehensive test will
Test details: follow.
Contact Hours: The student will be required to document 15 CONTACT HOURS
during the semester. A Minimum of 10 (or more) of the 15 hours must be spent
interacting with deaf people at deaf culture events, silent dinners and lectures by
Deaf people. The purpose of these Interactive Contact Hours will be to expose the
student to native signers and to allow the student to develop a broader
understanding of the Deaf Community. These activities must result in a student
being able to show improved communication skills. Interactive “Hands On”
activities may include the ASL Club activities; Student Service Activities on the
QUAD, and other community volunteer opportunities. Call the agency for
information about assisting and let them know you are taking ASL I at SPC. Sites
include: Safety Harbor Library: 727 724-1525 X 232 for Rosa Rodriquez; Deaf and
Hearing Connection: 727 399-9983; Blossom Montessori School: 727 539-7879;
Family Center on Deafness: 727-549-6664.
Other events for Interactive Contact Hours include:
1) Attend a religious event at which there is an interpreter: Write five (5) words
or signs you learned while watching the interpreter; after the event, ask the
interpreter for their name and if they have a NIC or RID Certification.
2) Attend any public meeting sponsored by a Deaf Organization such as the St.
Petersburg Association for the Deaf (SPAD); the Association of Late Deafened
Adults (ALDA); Deaf Women of Tampa Bay and other local Deaf organizations. List
the names of three (3) Deaf people you met at the meeting and respond to the
blog questions.
3) Attend a Silent Social night at the local area Mall Food Courts or the Pinellas ASL
Social which occurs every Friday night. List three (3) new words and the names of
two (2) Deaf people you meet.
4) Attend an interpreted community performance. Write five (5) words or signs
you learn while watching the interpreter; after the event, ask the interpreter for
their name and if they have a NIC or RID Certification
5) Information and announcements of events will be posted on bulletin boards in
the ASL lab and provided in class. If a student becomes aware that an event
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involves sign language or the Deaf community, please bring this information to
share with your classmates.
Media contact hours may include Web Site assignments and video assignments for
a total of no more than ten (5) contact hours. Information and announcements of
events will be posted on bulletin boards and provided in class. Suggested Sign
Language materials will be found in the Clearwater Sign Language Lab (LA 109).
* Please remember to sign in and out of the ASL lab using the computer at the
door.
All Contact Hour Assignments and Activities must be pre-approved by the
instructor. The instructor will verify all volunteer hours with each agency. If you
are having any difficulty arranging Contact Hours, please inform me as soon as
possible and I will arrange for a tutor. Please do not assume that running into a
deaf person with whom you communicate will count for contact hours.
CONTACT HOURS are to be submitted using the format on the Contact Hour
Summary Sheet in My Courses in the Contact Hour Blog folder. Each submission
should be no less than 350 words to receive full credit. Half of the contact hours
(7) are due at mid semester. The remaining half (8) are DUE by the Sunday before
final exam week. A student may complete and turn in his/her required summaries
before Due Dates. I suggest you get started on your contact hours early so as not
to run into trouble at the end of the semester.
Unit Tests: There will be five unit tests this semester. Students need to submit
homework assignments at the time of the test.
The Student will produce three (3) Expressive Skill Projects from Textbook
assignments using GoReact and a final project will be completed in class on the
day of finals.
Check the Class schedule for the due dates on these assigned projects:
The student will record their projects following instructions for Media Protocol.
Video recordings are to be submitted in Angel in the drop box for each unit. If a
student has a personal webcam and records his or her project on a home
computer, he or she must still consider media protocol. You will record your
projects following instructions below for Media Protocol. Unit projects will be
recorded using webcams and submitted through GoReact.
Other notes: ASL Transferability:
ASL (1140C and 1150C) is recognized as a Foreign Language by many colleges and
universities in Florida and the other forty-nine states and territories. While this
language is generally accepted as an admission requirement at Florida’s public
universities, some university departments require a working knowledge of an
auditory/oral/written language as a graduation requirement. Please check with
the department chair of the program in which you wish to enroll to determine if
American Sign Language credits can be counted toward graduation.
IMPORTANT COLLEGE POLICY REGARDING COURSE DROP-ADD PERIOD AND
AUDIT INFORMATION
http://www.spcollege.edu/central/asa/addendum.htm#drop
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Resources
available:
Other Sources of Information related to ASL, Deaf Culture
These links do not count for Contact Hours.
Silent Titans Facebook Page
ASL University
http://www.lifeprint.com/
Signing Savvy
https://www.signingsavvy.com
American Sign Language Browser
http://www.commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/
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Hand speak
http://www.handspeak.com/word/
ASLized
http://aslized.org/