American Sign Language 1

In this course, students are introduced to the fundamentals of American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf Culture. Students develop both expressive and receptive signing skills, beginning with fingerspelling and numbers, then continuing with basic vocabulary. Students are also introduced to ASL grammar, discovering that it is a fully independent linguistic system, distinct from American English. Finally, students master the basic conversational and cultural behaviors necessary to hold a beginning-level conversation in ASL.