MLL 131 - Elementary American Sign Language I: Language and Humanities

Units: 4 ; Breadth Area: GE-C2
Students will learn conversational language and visual gestural strategies to reinforce ASL fluency. Grammatical principles and functions and learning about Deaf Culture will be emphasized.

Possible Instructional Methods: On-ground or Online-Asynchronous.
Grading: A-F or CR/NC (student choice).
Breadth Area(s) Satisfied: GE-C2 - Lower Division Humanities
Course Typically Offered: Fall & Spring

Student Learning Outcomes - Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Demonstrate in-depth conversational and narrative skills in ASL through discussion topics:
- getting to know you and giving information about yourself
- introducing oneself
- recognizing exact and mirror movements (signers’ perspective)
- learning certain handshapes for numbers and letters
- narrating experience with languages
- identifying and describing people
- discussing one’s residence and living situations
Use grammatical features in ASL through classroom activities and assignments/projects:
- five parameters
- appropriate non-manuals signals (NMS) for wh-questions
- appropriate non-manuals signals (NMS) for Y/N questions
- contrastive structure
- signer’s perspective
- using object-subject-verb (OSV) syntax order
- use of space/spatial reference
- recognize differences between sign and basic classifiers
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge of:
- conversation behaviors
- basic understanding of the linguistic structure of ASL
- basic knowledge of ASL literature and history
- Deaf culture and the Deaf community

C2. Humanities Learning Outcomes

Show appreciation for the humanities using their intellect, imagination, sensibility, and sensitivity;
develop their affective and cognitive faculties through studying great works reflecting the rich diversity of human imagination and/or inquiry; and
engage in critical self-reflection relating themes in the humanities to the students’ own lives.