Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

ASL 101 is the first term of a three-term sequence in American Sign Language at the college level. Communicative proficiency is the main objective of the sequence.

This course utilizes the Functional/Notional approach in learning grammar in the context of communicative activities. It is designed to help the students build their receptive skills, learn vocabulary through context, and develop strategies for figuring out meaning and to build upon that foundation. The course curriculum’s first and foremost goal of language teaching is to bring a person unable to communicate in ASL to a basic level of communicative competence. In addition, students will gain cultural awareness and appreciation.

ASL 101 is offered for 4 hours of transferable credit. It satisfies part of the foreign language requirement for the B.A. degree, counts as an elective for the A.A. degree, and contributes to the general education requirement for other Association Degrees.

ASL 101 is a course for beginners, so there are no prerequisites. Students whose skill level in ASL is more advanced than that of ASL 101 will not be admitted. 

Upon completion of this course students will be able to:

• Engage in simple conversations using expressive ASL skills, basic vocabulary, grammar, facial markers, and non-manual signals to engage in common interactions with Deaf people.
• Apply language-learning skills to interactions in the Deaf community.
• Demonstrate respect for and understanding of Deaf people and ASL, with an appreciation for their linguistic and cultural diversity.
• Meet the skills required for basic communication. 

Students are expected to attend all classes, participate actively in classroom activities, and prepare expressive homework assignments. Students may video record their work in the classroom or Lab or at home (as indicated by the instructor).  ASL will be used in the classroom at all times. No spoken language will be permitted in the classroom. Students should plan to spend at least one hour in preparation and practice outside of class for each class hour. 

Assessment strategies include observation of students' in-class receptive and expressive use of ASL, written quizzes on cultural knowledge and on receptive skills, and videotaping of students' expressive use of ASL. Students will be assessed in their competence in using the language as demonstrated by the quality of receptive and expressive preparation and participation and assignments. Attendance is an important factor but it is not used as assessment tool. 

The course focuses on the acquisition and correct use of parameters, non-manual signals, grammatical markers, grammatical structures, functional vocabulary, and cultural concepts for the purpose of successful communication in ASL. Successful students have practiced, and will be able to use the following communication topics and structures:

• Introductions and greetings

• Basic commands

• Basic questions

• Cardinal numbers 1-66

• Culturally appropriate communication

• Physical characteristics

• Personal narratives

• Basic non-manual signals

• Fingerspelling 

• Basic directions

• Introduction to the Deaf Community