This course stresses communication skills in ASL. Much of the practice work will be done in pairs. The goal is beginning students to acquire minimal conversational ability in ASL. By the end of the first academic school year, students will have studied survival Sign Language. In the process, they will learn certain cultural details. It is assumed that the students are in this class because they want to learn how to communicate in ASL. They will not have developed that ability completely by the end of the first academic year, but they will be surprised at how many communicative skills they will have acquired!
Every effort will be made to make this class student-centered. That is, an activity will be modeled, and then you will work in pairs and small groups to assimilate the vocabulary, phrases with facial expressions. Students should make every effort not to speak and use sign exclusively to prepare for the classroom learning activities.