Minor in Sign Language Studies

This course introduces students to different types of specialized, academic discourses in American Sign Language. Students will be given opportunities to analyze and evaluate academic and creative works and to compose logical arguments infused with critical thinking skills and perspectives through synthesizing information from sources.

This course covers areas of vocabulary, semantics, grammar and organization of ASL and English. Students look at the linguistic aspects of both languages and compare the two. The class also covers word classes and sentence structure of both languages. To assist students in understanding the structure of both languages, discussion of how languages work is included.

Visual media has changed the way we work with American Sign Language. With the advent of new tools and platforms, possibilities of publishing have proliferated, allowing a wider discourse of ideas to be shared with a vast audience of people who work with ASL and ASL learners. This course explores these opportunities through a hands-on approach and introduces students to the tools and skills necessary to produce digital video, websites, interactive presentations and social media and integrate those with the field of ASL.

This course is designed to expose students to the variety of features in ASL by recognizing and considering the ways those features are demonstrated in naturalistic data. Students will compile a collection of data sets, which will allow them to investigate ASL features. Critical analysis of ASL features including ASL fingerspelling, sentence types, and non-manual aspects of the language reinforces students' abilities in creating, utilizing, and analyzing ASL materials for the purpose of academic research, pedagogy, and resources.

This course is designed to continue students' exposure to the variety of features in ASL by recognizing and considering the ways those features are demonstrated in naturalistic data. Students will compile a collection of data sets, which will allow them to investigate ASL features. Critical analysis of ASL features including ASL depiction, discourse features, and ASL registers reinforces students' abilities in creating, utilizing, and analyzing ASL materials for the purpose of academic research, pedagogy, and resources.

This course provides an overview of various genres in American Sign Language Narratives ranging from visual vernacular to fictional narratives. Students will analyze contents, themes and stylistic techniques of works done by various ASL literary artists. This course emphasizes practices in planning, developing, performing and critiquing various narrative genres.

This course provides an overview of various genres in American Sign Language Poetics ranging from ABC Stories to Poetry. Students will analyze contents, themes and stylistic techniques of works done by various ASL literary artists. This course emphasizes practices in planning, developing, performing and critiquing various works in the poetics genres.

This course will begin with developing an understanding of the concept of 'culture' and then will focus on the complexities and varieties of Deaf cultural experiences. Students will be asked to engage course materials through multi-disciplinary approaches in order to gain a critical appreciation of Deaf lives within historical, political and global contexts.

This course examines various forms of oppression by looking across different cultures and communities, then examines possible parallels occurring within the deaf community.

This course is designed to build basic knowledge and skills of Lengua de Senas Mexicana (LSM) and Mexican Deaf culture. Students are expected to develop basic expressive and receptive skills, through signs and grammar lessons and interactive activities. The visual and spatial language, LSM will be taught with cultural context and brief Mexican Deaf history, as well. This course is designed to teach students the fundamentals needed to initiate and partake in, and understand basic LSM conversations with LSM users.

This course designs to continue the development of Lengua de Senas Mexicana (LSM) and emphasize development and refinement of comprehension, production, and interpersonal skills as well as deepening understanding of Mexican Deaf Culture. The visual and spatial language, LSM II will be taught with cultural context and brief Mexican Deaf history, as well. This course is designed to teach students the fundamentals needed to initiate and partake in, and understand intermediate LSM conversations with LSM users.