Course includes vocabulary building and mastery of grammar through rigorous receptive and expressive language activities. Course includes student-led discussions, debates, and prepared reports on topics in Deaf Culture and current affairs. Course focuses on continued development of receptive and expressive American Sign Language skills through activities including class discussions. Study and practice of storytelling and poetry, ASL features found in theater, as well as discussions of current events. Deaf Culture 3 cr.
Course covers status of the deaf population as a linguistic and cultural minority group.
Designed for individuals who may or may not have had prior experience with deaf people, course raises questions concerning the nature of sign language and its varieties, education of deaf people, historical treatment of deafness, sociological and cultural issues important to deaf individuals, and the nature of American Sign Language literature and poetry. Course focuses on linguistic structure of American Sign Language including phonology, morphology, syntax, and language in use. Structural aspects of both American Sign Language and English are compared and contrasted, providing students with valuable insight into both languages. Course introduces students to the field of interpreting. Focus on history of the interpreting field, growth of the profession, and current trends.