AMERICAN

SIGN LANGUAGE
ASL 1 AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE 1 (UC:CSU)| CLASS #0115 | FALL 2015 |
|4 UNITS|

OFFICE HOURS: Mondays and Wednesdays 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM or by appointment only

E-mail:
tyroneakovacs@gmail.com
Videophone: (925) 271.7452

Course work includes a

focus on the manual
alphabet, numbers,
conversaUonal skills, culturally appropriate behaviors, basic
vocabulary and grammar of American Sign Language.
Emphasis is placed on comprehension & expressive skills. Develop the abiliUes to funcUon in the
language in actual communicaUve situaUons, create meaningful communicaUve discourse in ASL,
demonstrate an understanding and appreciaUon of social and cultural norms with vital aspects of the
Deaf culture and community and learn the necessary strategies and skills to become independent
language learners.

Course Descrip6on

Assignments and coursework are designed for students to achieve the following:
comprehend and sign at a prociency level appropriate for ASL 1 students
understand and use ASL to converse with other ASL users
engage in basic conversaUons about themselves and their world
discuss aspects of day-to-day life in the Deaf community
parUcipate and appreciate the Deaf community experience in ASL
Course Objec6ves

A. Cultural Awareness
Students will conUnue to be exposed to Deaf Culture and language use. Students are responsible for
the Cultural Notes in the workbook and cultural informaUon discussed in class.
Students will expand their cultural awareness by parUcipaUng in acUviUes related to the Deaf
community.
B. Gramma1cal Features
ASL will be uUlized in all conversaUonal exchange and class exercise throughout the semester. Students
are prohibited from using voice in class and will not formulate ASL in spoken language syntax.
Students will demonstrate ProducUon of signed dialogues and short sentences, narraUves and/or
stories uUlizing ASL grammaUcal features.

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C. Vocabulary
Students will receive exposure to a targeted set of vocabulary items.
Students will demonstrate mastery with a set of targeted vocabulary items draw from class acUviUes
and lessons. Comprehension and producUon of these vocabulary items are vital.
D. Conversa1onal Skills
Students will demonstrate communicaUve competency with short narraUves and stories in ASL as
viewed by the instructor, the actors on DVD, and classmates.
Overview of topics include: pronouns, colors, interrogaUves, negaUons, school, people, homes, family
relaUonships, work, like events, daily acUviUes, transportaUon, Ume/calendar, numbers, ngerspelling,
opposites, food, pleas, sports, feeling/opinion. FuncUonal/noUonal discourse behaviors are developed,
including: conversaUonal openers, greeUngs, idenUfying, introducing, asking/requesUng, responding,
comparing/ contrasUng.
Assessment

You will be assessed on both recepUve & expressive skills. Your submided videos will be assessed for
your skills in both areas especially when you are responding to a video you just viewed. Rubric will be
posted on GoReact (see below) for you to see what is needed to achieve your goal.
Teaching Methods
Community Learning Teaching will be used in the classroom to focus on communicaUve competence,
meaning, and funcUon (Brown, 2007).
Focus is given to real-world contexts,such as the mirror acUvity (Lentz, Mikos &Smith,2008), which
allows students to become acUve parUcipants in their own learning. Teachers will give feedback on both
uency and accuracy during class acUvity and for Living SituaUons ConversaUon Task (Lavelle & Vazquez-
Low,2014). Class language is done 100% in target language, which follows the DirectMethod (Brown,
2007). Classes are small and intensive. Concrete vocabulary is taught through demonstraUon, objects,
and pictures in PowerPoint slides during class.
In Func6onal-No6onalApproach, the lessons include an eclecUc blend of conversaUonal pracUce,
interacUve group work, roleplaying, grammar and pronunciaUon focus exercises, informaUon-gap
techniques, internet acUviUes and extra-class interacUve pracUce (Richards&Rodgers,2001).
Interac6ve Learning is used within the classroom when the students and teacher use genuine and
spontaneous interacUon with guided quesUon prompts when needed. Lessons include a signicant
amount of pair and group work daily. Students are being prepared for actual interacUon out
there(Brown,2007). Discussions will cover topics related to Deaf Culture.

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Course Requirements & Materials

Students are responsible to purchase these items for the semester:
1) Mikos, K., Smith, C., and Lentz, E. M. (2008). Signing Naturally : Student Workbook Level 1. Dawn
Sign Press: San Diego, CA. (Units 1-6) Signing Naturally Level 1 DVD
2) Subscribe to GoReact (www.goreact.com) $15 per semester (Rubrics for each project will be posted)
You are responsible to do and keep up with the worksheets in your workbook using the DVD purchased
with the workbook. These correspond with class instrucUon.
You are also responsible to submit assignments in ASL. You will be able to upload videos and view
instructors feedback
You are required to use ASL when videotaping yourself for your assignments. This can be done using
any webcam that is already installed on a computer, phone, or tablet. If you do not have access
to a camera, you must borrow someones.
Submit your assignments to www.goreact.com. Emailed assignments will not be accepted.
You will be evaluated on your non-manual grammaUcal use, correct usage of signs, story sequencing,
and classiers.
It is VERY important to pracUce, pracUce, and pracUce in order to do well

ParUcipaUon in class acUviUes is crucial to your success in this class.
Par6cipa6on
The class forms a small community and your eort or lack of
impacts the success of the group. Please make every eort to come
to every class on Ume with homework done and ready to learn and
parUcipate. If you come late or leave early this will be considered a tardy, which will accumulate as lack
of parUcipaUon days. Two lack of parUcipaUon days are excused, amer that for each lack of parUcipaUon
day, your nal course grade percentage will be dropped one percentage point. If you have 83% and 5 lack
of parUcipaUon days, your nal course percentage and grade will be: 78% = C. If you know you will be
absent from class, make arrangements for a classmate to take notes and collect handouts for you. I do
not always bring extra copies with me to the next class.
We insist on maintaining a signing environment at all Ume in the
classroom for two reasons;
One, it is considered rude and insulUng to talk in front of a Deaf
person and not make the informaUon passing between you and the other person accessible. Since a
good number of your teachers will be Deaf and your goal is to get to know Deaf people in the
community. It is imperaUve that you develop the habit of signing when Deaf people are present.
Secondly, this is an immersion class, which means only the target language is used. Using only ASL helps
you to develop both your comprehension skills and your expressive skills quickly and eecUvely. Talking
disrupts this process and delays your language development.
If a fellow student asks you for help, feel free to help by using signs you have learned or by wriUng back
and forth. In this way, I can see what is being said and can join in to help, if needed. All cell phones and
p!ager must turned o during class. If you talk during class, you will receive rst, a verbal warning, then a
note, then be suspended from class.
No Talking Policy:

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Students with Disabili6es:

Students requiring accommodaUons or modicaUons of

assignments or exams due to a disability must speak with the
instructor by the end of the rst class session. You are responsible to submit paperwork at the Disability
Resource Center prior to the semester.

Student Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
Exhibit basic language skills in order to parUcipate in and have conversaUons, and produce narraUves
and discussions in ASL.
IdenUfy key aspects of American Deaf Culture.
Use digital media & tools to demonstrate emerging language skills.
Ability to ask and give names, produce correct numbers and certain ngerspelling and sign hand
shapes. Introducing self and greeUng each other.
Ask/tell where you live, use real world orientaUon, give commands, establish references, develop non-
manual grammar (facial expressions), describe residence, use contrasUve structure.
Discuss daily rouUnes and acUviUes, modify verbs, use role shim in narraUves, discuss non-present
people, ask/give opinion, integrate more non-manual grammar behaviors.
Course Outline
Units/Topics/Topic Outcomes

Unit 1
Introducing
Oneself

Unit 2
Unit 3
Talking About
Exchange
Personal
Where You Live
InformaUon
IdenUfy self,
learn to negate
and correct
informaUon, ask
yes/no
quesUons,
idenUfy spaUal
locaUons,
narrate
language
background, tell
present
condiUon.

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Unit 4

Talking About
Family

Unit 5

Unit 6

Talking About
Storytelling
Everyday AcUviUes

Talk about family

and relaUonships,
reply to quesUons,
summarize
informaUon,
conUnued
development of
ngerspelling and
sign handshapes,
use pronouns.

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Grading System

Homework 40%

Midterm Exam 10%

Final Exams 40%

Participation 10%

Cultural Awareness
Assignments

Midterm Exam-
NarraUve

Final Exam- Expressive

Attendance ( being on
time & remaining until
the end of class, full
class participation)

Group Discussion
Forum- Switched at
Birth and AddiUonal
Assignments

Midterm Exam-
Comprehensive

Final Exam-
Comprehensive

Goreact video
assignments

Midterm Wriden Exam

Final Exam- Wriden

Exam

Grading Scale:
100 - 90% A 89 - 80% B 79 - 70% C 69 60% D 59% or lower F
Check your grade at www.engrade.com

Student Academic Integrity Policy

Statement

This site is commided to the belief that honesty and integrity are integral components of the academic
process. It is expected that students be honest and ethical at al Umes in their pursuit of academic goals.
Students who violate the code of academic conduct by which its academic integrity is maintained will be
dealt in a manner reecUng the seriousness of these violaUons. Please refer to our handbook on
academic integrity.

Addi6onal Resources
1) For Hearing People Only: Answers to Some of the Most Commonly Asked
Ques1ons about the Deaf Community, Its Culture, and the "Deaf Reality 3rd
(third) Edi1on by Moore, MaShew S., Levitan, Linda published by Deaf Life
Press

Easy to read
Funny stories
Great Deaf Culture and experience informaUon

2) Through Deaf Eyes (video) Linda Gabriel (Actor), Stockard

Channing (Actor), & 2 more Rated: NR (Not Rated) Format: DVD

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Many ASL teachers recommend this book

Benecial for ASL students learning about how to deal with dierent situaUons

Great visual aid for student

Strong Deaf idenUUes showing
Signing recepUve pracUce for student
Great lm to use for tests/quizzes
ASL teacher strongly recommend it

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