COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES

This course is designed to enable first year students of American Sign Language to review and explain their fluency in receptive and expressive conversational skills. Their vocabulary, fingerspelling, grammatical and cultural understanding will be advance through the use of short-length prepared and self-generated dialogues and stories. Successful pass of this class with a “C” or better is needed to progress to next level 2.

Students will

* Articulate all letters of the American manual alphabet clearly and accurately with regard to letter formation, palm orientation and hand position.

* Recognize words or word groups fingerspell at various rates.

* Apply receptive and expressive grammar competencies necessary for carrying out the functions to be learned.

* Demonstrate receptive and expressive competency for relatively short/long narratives, stories, dialogues and group discussions in ASL.

* Demonstrate the ability to initiate, conduct and terminate short length conversations with Deaf users of ASL other than the instructor.

* Receive information on Deaf Culture, the Deaf Community, and basic history of ASL.