ASL Courses at Taft

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE 1 (ASL 1A/1B)

This is an introductory course of American Sign Language (ASL). The purpose of this course is to develop a basic proficiency in communicating using American Sign Language within an immersive, Deaf friendly environment. A study of the fundamentals of American Sign Language includes: the development of expressive skills, receptive skills, and grammatical structures, including the study of Deaf culture, Deaf community traditions and customs, and Deaf history.

Prerequisite: None

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE 2 (ASL 2A/2B)

This course is a continuation of ASL 1. The purpose of this course is to continue to develop proficiency in communicating using American Sign Language within an immersive, Deaf friendly environment. The continuation of the study of the fundamentals of American Sign Language includes: the improvement of comprehension/receptive skills, and expressive skills, with an emphasis on grammatical structures such as glossing and the linguistics of ASL and Classifiers, and the extended study of Deaf culture, Deaf community traditions and customs, and Deaf history.

Recommended Prerequisite: Completion of ASL 1

HONORS AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE 3 (H ASL 3A/3B)

This course is a continuation of ASL 1 and ASL 2. The purpose of this course is to develop intermediate to advanced proficiency in communicating using American Sign Language within a full immersion environment. The continuation of the study of American Sign Language includes: a variety of practicums to demonstrate intermediate to advanced levels of comprehension/receptive skills, an expected knowledge of intermediate to advanced grammatical structures, continued emphasis on production/expressive skills, i.e. narrative/storytelling, the introduction of basic principles of interpreting from English to ASL and vice versa, and continued study of aspects of Deaf culture and the relationship of hearing and Deaf/HH people within the Deaf community.

Recommended Prerequisites: Completion of ASL 1 and ASL 2

HONORS AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE 4 (H ASL 4A/4B)

This course is a continuation of ASL 1, ASL 2, and ASL 3. The purpose of this course is an advanced study of American Sign Language within a full immersion environment. The advanced study of American Sign Language focuses on: hands-on experiences and practicums for the implementation of intermediate interpreting skills, the development and understanding of basic Interpreter Ethics, an emphasis on production/conversational skills along with continued focus on grammatical/linguistic, cultural features, and arranged campus mentorship with Staff and Faculty to learn about careers within the Deaf community such as: interpreting, teaching DHH, teaching ASL, community advocacy, speech and language pathology, and linguistics.

Recommended Prerequisites: Completion of ASL 1, ASL 2, and ASL 3