DepartmentofInterpretation

CourseSyllabus

Credithours:
Semester:
Class:
Classroom:
Classduration:

INT70701
StructureofLanguageforInterpreters:
AmericanSign LanguageandEnglish
Three(3)
Fall2014
Thursdays,5:007:50pm
HMB1001
August26,2014December14,2014

Instructor:
Office:
Email:
Videophone:
Officehours:
Preferredcontactmethod:

KeithM.Cagle,Ph.D.
HMB#1413
keith.cagle@gallaudet.edu
2022502911
Thursdays2:00pmto4:30pm;orbyappointment
Email

Coursenumber:
Coursetitle:

I.

COURSEDESCRIPTION
ThiscourseisanintroductiontothelinguisticstructuresofASLandEnglishforinterpreters.
Topicsincludephonology,morphology,syntax,semantics,andsociolinguistics,aswell
asdepiction,bilingualism,languageacquisition,andlanguagevariation.Studentswillidentify
andanalyzelinguisticfeaturesintheirownandotherpeoples'linguisticuse,andapplythis
informationandskilltotranslatingandinterpretingwork.Prerequisite:AcceptanceintotheM.A.
inInterpretationprogramorpermissionofDepartmentChair,ProgramCoordinator,and/or
courseinstructors.

II.

MAStudent Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Skills/knowledge
Compare and contrast ASL
and English in terms of

MAI
Program
Outcomes
3, 4, 5, 7

Assessment
Projects
* Participation
in class

Assessment Tools
Assignment specific
checklist / rubric (grading

Cagle/INT 707 Structure of Language for Interpreters: ASL and English, Fall 2014 Syllabus

their:

discussion;

Relative status as
languages;
Modality and iconicity;
Phonological and
morphological
properties;
Grammatical categories
and word/phrase types;
Sentence types,
sentence markers, word
order, and focus;
Semantics and
pragmatics;
Register features;
Opening and closing of
conversations
(discourse strategies)
Types of language
variation;
Depiction (classifiers)
TASL
Blends
Acquisition and
bilingualism;

* Individual
student
presentation

will be based on
thoroughness and
organization of projects
and homework)

* In class
exercises and
role plays
* Academic
paper and
presentation

Identify and describe the

above aspects of ASL and
English

3, 4, 5, 7

Same as
above

Assignment specific
checklist / rubric

Identify and describe the

importance of the above
aspects of ASL and English
as applicable during
translation and/or
interpretation

3, 4, 5, 7

Same as
above

Assignment specific
checklist / rubric

Demonstrate an ability to
perform transcription and
ASL academic papers."

5, 6, 7

Same as
above

Assignment specific
checklist (grading based
on: academic writing,
thoroughness
addressing the topic and
discussion of various
issues; inclusion of how
the topic/issues may
affect the student as an
interpreter)

http://www.gallaudet.edu/Interpretation/MA_Program/Student_Learning_Outcomes.html

Cagle/INT 707 Structure of Language for Interpreters: ASL and English, Fall 2014 Syllabus

III.
ReadingsandMaterials
Readingsmaybeaddedormodifiedduringthesemester
a.

Recommended readings
Baker,C.andCokely,D.1980.AmericanSignLanguage:ateacher'sresourcetexton
grammarandculture.Washington,D.C.:GallaudetUniversityPress.
Valli,Clayton,CeilLucasandKristinMulrooney.2005.LinguisticsofAmericanSign
Language:AnIntroduction(Fourthedition).Washington,D.C.:GallaudetUniversity
Press.

b.

Readings for Class Lead Lecture and Exercise

The student assigned to a class lead lecture and exercise will send a latest article related
to the topic to the class through email at least three days prior to his or her lecture.

c.

Supplementalreadings
SomeothersupplementalreadingsmaybepostedinthecoursesBlackboardwebsite
(my.gallaudet.edu)orbesenttothestudentsthroughemail.Somemayberetainedona
reservedshelfatthelibrary.

d.

ELAN software
You may get a free download from this website: http://www.lat-mpi.eu/tools/elan/

e.

Writing style:
All submitted work must follow DOI formatting instructions and style guides
(APA 6).

IV. ASSESSMENT SUMMARY

a. Grading Criterions for Course (tentative)
Although some adjustments in percentages may be necessary, the following should give you
a fair picture of how your work is weighted to determine your final grade:

Activity
Participation

Points
50

Cagle/INT 707 Structure of Language for Interpreters: ASL and English, Fall 2014 Syllabus

Homework from exercises

Lead class lecture and exercise
Final project and presentation
Total point

100
100
100
350

Foranexample,ifyoumake295pointsoutof350,divide295by350togetapercentageof
84.2.

b. GradingScale
A+= 97100
A= 9496
A= 9093

B+=
B=
B=

8789
8486
8083

C+= 7779
C= 7476
F=73andbelow

c. Graduate Grading System

The following excerpt can be found on:
http://www.gallaudet.edu/Catalog/Registration_and_Policies/Graduate_Policies/Grading_System.html

Grade
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
F
XF

GPA
Value
4.0
4.0
3.7
3.3
3.0
2.7
2.3
2.0
0.0
0.0

V.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

a.

Attendance, Preparation and Participation

Definition
Outstanding
Outstanding
Outstanding
Good
Good
Unsatisfactory
Unsatisfactory
Unsatisfactory
Failing, No Credit
Academic Integrity
Policy Violation, No
Credit

Attendance and participation are mandatory. Absences must be excused by the instructor
prior to the missed class. Two unexcused absences will result in lowering the final grade
with one grade level drop for the course. Four late arrivals (more than 5 minutes) will
result in lowering the final grade for the course.

Cagle/INT 707 Structure of Language for Interpreters: ASL and English, Fall 2014 Syllabus

Participants are expected to complete readings, and be ready to participate in discussions

based on these readings.
b.

Assignments
Assignments are due at the beginning of class. Assignments (PPTs and papers) must be
submitted to the instructor through email prior to the start of class; attachments must be
labeled with course name/number/students name/assignment (e.g.
INT707SmithAssignment1).
All written material must be typed and double-spaced.
Late assignments will result in a loss of 50% on the assignment's grade. After two days,
the grade will be an zero.
Assignments may be added or modified (and due dates may change) as the semester
progresses.
Make-up works will not be given except in case of a documented personal or medical
emergency. Inform instructor immediately of any crisis.
Incomplete grades are reserved for extraordinary circumstances. A student must be passing
the course and have no more than 10% of the grade remaining before the possibility of an
incomplete will be considered.
Copiedorplagiarizedassignmentswillearnzeropointsandmayresultinthestudents
dismissalfromtheclass,programorUniversity.
All video assignments handed in for the class are to be on Unlisted YouTube.

VI.

COURSE WORKS

a.

Participation (50 points)

Participation includes active listening, leading and contributing to discussions, and
encouraging and supporting the contributions of others. Group activities are an important
part of this class; you are expected to actively participate in discussions and exercises.

Points for participation:

3 = Always participated, yet respect for other classmates fair opportunity for
participation.
2 = Occasionally participated.
1 = Rarely participated.
0 = No participation.
b.

Lead Class Lecture (100 points)

Cagle/INT 707 Structure of Language for Interpreters: ASL and English, Fall 2014 Syllabus

The student will search and find a short reading (latest article) related to the topic,
and then send the link to the classmates at least 3 days prior to the lecture.
The student will develop the Powerpoint (not in Keynote) for the lecture and send
the attachment to the teacher at least 2 days prior to the lecture.
The lecture will include the followings:
* Topic
* Definition
* At least 3 examples (phrase, sentence, short story)
* Video clips
* Exercise for students
Both lecture and exercise are expected to last for 45 minutes long.
See the rubric at the latter pages of this syllabus.
c.

Homework from Exercises (100 points)

The course will have exercises from instructor and students lectures covering
multi-levels: phonology, morphology, syntax, discourse and semantics. The
assignments must be handed to the teacher in the beginning of class.
Example: In the class, you will have a group exercise with three persons (person
voicing, person interpreting and person translating on a paper). After the exercise,
your group will produce a video in YouTube with captioning.

The checklist will be used to grade the assignment.

Produced the unlisted YouTube

10 points

Format for video is complied.

10 points

Captioning is included.

10 points

Explained what exercise is about and

from whose lecture

10 points

All parties are involved in the video.

10 points

Cagle/INT 707 Structure of Language for Interpreters: ASL and English, Fall 2014 Syllabus

Quality of work: Outstanding,

Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory

50 / 40 / 0 points
Total: 100 points

d.

Final Project (100 points)

Your final project is an analysis work, you will select video clips of interpreted texts and
complete a comparative linguistic analysis of the source language text and interpreted
message in the target language. Your analysis will include morphology, syntax,
discourse / sociolinguistics and semantic information, as well as consideration of the
pragmatics, register, and social/situational factors. You will discuss your results in a
typed 7-10 pages paper and a 15 minutes long presentation in ASL following guidelines
for ASL academic papers. Papers are due by midnight on November 20, 2014. It is to
be sent to the teacher by email. Presentations and their PowerPoint slideshows are due in
class on December 4, 2014. Send the PowerPoint to the teacher PRIOR TO the class
begins.
In the final project, you will discuss:
* Brief description of events, interactions, communication methods, and/or other
observations in the interpreted videos;
* Explanation of your analysis method (e.g. collection, ELAN, categorizing, etc.)
* Identify which/what linguistic features in morphology, syntax, discourse /
sociolinguistics and semantics (four areas) you analyzed on, along with the
definitions.
* Discuss the differences between English and ASL with three examples for each
linguistic feature.
* Your recommendations for future research and applications to interpreting.
The rubric is in the latter pages of this syllabus.

VII.

TIME ALLOCATION FOR COURSE

a. Weekly classes - 37.5 hours

b. Out of class works - 75 hours
Total would be at least 112 hours which you would expect to spend for INT 707 course.
VIII.

COMMUNICATION MEANS

The teacher Dr. Cagle has a bad case of tennis and golf tendonitis on both elbows. For this fall
2014 semester, the teacher prefers to communicate with the students through email.
Gallaudet email will be used to announce any changes or news about class, so please make sure
you have activated your Gallaudet account. If you are a dedicated user of some other email
system such as yahoo or gmail, please set up your Gallaudet email to forward any email from the

Cagle/INT 707 Structure of Language for Interpreters: ASL and English, Fall 2014 Syllabus

instructor to your preferred email account. The Help Desk can help you do this if you do not
know how.
For syllabus, any changes that substantially alter the assessment and grading of students will not
be made, unless options are provided which include retaining the original assessment methods.
However, this syllabus is a course guide and may be changed to accommodate a number of varied
situations such as weather or time allocation changes for subject areas, etc. When any item in this
syllabus is changed, all students will be informed in writing through Blackboard and in the class.
IX.

DISCLAIMER

The course schedule and assignment due dates initially set forth are subject to reasonable
change by the instructor at any time. These changes may be announced during class
session or by any method agreed upon with the class. It is the students responsibility to
be aware of any such information that may be announced.
X.

UNIVERSITY POLICIES

It is the students responsibility to familiarize themselves and comply with the Gallaudet University
Undergraduate/Graduate Academic Integrity Policy, which can be found in the Gallaudet University
Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog or on the Gallaudet University website at:
http://catalog.gallaudet.edu/Catalog/Registration_and_Policies/Graduate_Policies/Acade mic_Integrity.html
Office for Students with Disabilities (OSWD) Accommodation policy
Students have the responsibility of formally requesting accommodation through the Office for Students
With Disabilities (OSWD) at the beginning of the semester:
http://www.gallaudet.edu/Office_for_Students_with_Disabilities/General_Information.html
For information on your rights under the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act please see:
http://www.gallaudet.edu/EOP/Reasonable_Accommodations.html
Department Policies:
Please see: http://www.gallaudet.edu/Interpretation/Beyond_the_Classroom.html

XI.

COURSE OUTLINE

The course outline will be available shortly after the teacher gathers the survey from the students.

Cagle/INT 707 Structure of Language for Interpreters: ASL and English, Fall 2014 Syllabus

XII.

RUBRICS

1.

Lead Class Lecture and Exercise

2.

Rubric for Final Project (paper and presentation)

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE PAPER

10
Body of Paper
Ideas/Analysis
Organization
Grammar

Comments

Cagle/INT 707 Structure of Language for Interpreters: ASL and English, Fall 2014 Syllabus

Word Choice
References/Supporting
Materials
Delivery/Formatting
10= Outstanding, 8 = Satisfactory, 6 =
Unsatisfactory

10

Total
score:

/70

ENGLISH PAPER
10

Body of Paper
Ideas/Analysis
Organization
Grammar
Word Choice
References/Supporting
Materials
Delivery/Formatting
10= Outstanding, 8 = Satisfactory, 6 =
Unsatisfactory

Category
Central Message/Thesis

Comments

Total
score:

/70

Indicators
Main ideas and connected points are stated, maintained
and connected through the text.
Information is synthesized, integrated, and interpreted
in ways that support main and connecting points.

Ideas/Analysis

Ideas are logically presented with sufficient explanation.

Included ideas are each analyzed for relevance and
meaning

Organization

Organizational pattern (specific introduction and

conclusion, sequenced material within the body, and
transitions) is clearly and consistently observable and is
skillful and makes the content of the presentation
cohesive. Text includes examples and details.

Grammar

Grammar and vocabulary are correct, effective and

precise.

Word Choice

Language choices are imaginative, memorable, and

compelling, and enhance the effectiveness of the
product as paper, presentation, or video.
Language choices in product are appropriate for
audience/readers.

References/Supporting
Materials

Delivery/Formatting
(APA, MLA, video,
presentation)

Choice of references clearly support ideas and thesis

References are clearly identified with an appropriate and
consistent style (APA, MLA, Academic ASL).
Delivery and formatting are appropriate for language
and product choice
Delivery and formatting enhance product presentation

Cagle/INT 707 Structure of Language for Interpreters: ASL and English, Fall 2014 Syllabus

January 2014.

11

Cagle, Santini, Roy and Harrelson

Please read, sign, and date this page, tear it from your syllabus and give to your
instructor.

Semester/Year:

Fall / 2014

Course Number Section:

INT 707-01

Course Name:

Structure of Language for Interpreters:

American Sign Language and English

Instructor Name:

Dr. Keith M. Cagle

I have read the syllabus for the above class. I understand that I am accountable for
all the information contained in this syllabus. I have been given the opportunity to
clarify any questions that I have.
Students Name (Please Print) _____________________________________
Students Signature _____________________________________________
Date ________________________________________

Cagle/INT 707 Structure of Language for Interpreters: ASL and English, Fall 2014 Syllabus

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