Beginning American Sign Language I

This course introduces American Sign Language (ASL), a method of visual/gestural communication used by deaf people in the United States and Canada. Students learn visual readiness skills to recognize and express spatial relationships and to use appropriate non-manual signals, such as facial expressions and body movements. Course topics include communicative functions, vocabulary, grammar, and cultural aspects of the deaf community. The course also covers functional communication to help students understand the needs and history of the deaf as well as their Community. Students learn the differences between American Sign Language and oral communication for the deaf.