THST 205 American Sign Language

College of Performing Arts

2 credits 45.0 hours
200 level undergraduate course

This course introduces the student to American Sign Language (ASL), the language used by the majority of people in the American Deaf Community. It is a beginner’s course designed to provide non-native signers an opportunity to study ASL as a foreign/second language. In this course students are introduced to a language, which is very different from any spoken language. ASL is visually based, rather than auditory based, and is composed of hand shapes, spatial referencing movements, number usage, basic time and money concepts, fingerspelling, basic questions, statement, and negations (basic ASL gloss) and facial expressions as the primary structures of language. Along with learning the primary language of Deaf people, students are also introduced to American Deaf Culture by experiencing a visually based signing environment in the classroom and through visits into the Deaf Community outside of the classroom, readings, and videotapes. This class is totally in ASL with supplemental mime/gesture, drawing, etc. This is an immersion class. Speaking is not permitted during class time.

This course is not repeatable for credit.

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