American Sign Language II SGNL 2312E Beginning American Sign Language Contact Information and Office Hours Instructor: Traci Gorsuch Prather Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling: Texas Tech University 2005 BEI certified ASL interpreter Level I 1999 Bachelor of Art English: West Texas A&M University 1991 American Sign Language certified teacher Email: tprather@canyonisd.net Office Phone/Office Hours: I do not have an office on campus. If you need to contact me by phone during the day you may do so at (urgent calls only) (806) 677-2740 ext. 1564. It will go to voice mail if I am teaching class. Leave a message and I will call you back as soon as possible. After 4:00 pm you may reach me at my home at (806) 557-4839 or cell phone (806) 679-2049. Syllabus Purpose: This syllabus sets forth the policies, procedures, materials and assignments for this course. Required Texts and Materials Zinza, Jason E. Master ASL! Level I. 6 th ed. Burtonsville, MD: Sign Media, Inc, 2006. (This is a packet that includes the hardback text, the Student Companion, a separate, soft-cover book focusing on developing fingerspelling, numbers, and glossing skills, and DVD.) ISBN 1-881133-20-6. Moore, Matthew and Levitan, Linda. For Hearing People Only. 3 rd ed. Rochester, NY: Deaf Life Press. 2003. ISBN 0-9634-016-3-7. Pre-requisite: American Sign Language I Course Description Expansion to the introduction to American Sign Language I, fingerspelling will be more in depth to increase fluency, build on the foundation of previously learned vocabulary, and expand basic sentence structure to use more complex sentence structure in preparing individuals to communicate with Deaf individuals. Syllabus Page 1 of 7
Purpose and Goals of the Course: ASL as a Language The purpose of this course is to introduce learners to fundamentals of American Sign Language. The goals of this course are: the ability to express basic concepts using ASL, compare and contrast some aspects of Deaf Culture, and explain the basic linguistic components of ASL. It is a visual language and it has its own grammatical rules and semantics. ASL is primarily used by deaf and hard of hearing Americans and Canadians. In addition, ASL is used by: hearing children of deaf parents; hearing siblings and relatives of the deaf and hearing adults who are becoming deaf and are learning ASL from other deaf individuals. Additionally, a growing population of hearing, second language students are learning ASL in the elementary, secondary and post-secondary classrooms. ASL is deeply rooted in the Deaf Community and Culture. Early sign language was already in use in Colonial America, notably in Martha s Vineyard, an island off the Massachusetts coast where many deaf people once lived. In 1817, Laurent Clerc, the first deaf teacher in America came from Paris, France to Hartford, Connecticut, with Thomas Gallaudet to set up the first school for the deaf. He used French Sign Language (FSL) in his teachings, which lead to the standardization of early American Sign Language into modern American Sign Language. The folklore, the history of Deaf people and cultural values are expressed and preserved through ASL. Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes The students in this course will: Learning Outcome 1: demonstrate the ability to present and comprehend information presented in American Sign Language based on Master ASL! Units 6-10. Topics include: sports and activites, daily routines, tense, descriptions of people and the natural world, geographic and local community, making plans, food, animals and classifiers. Learning Outcome 2: demonstrate the ability to EXPRESS information in American Sign Language based on Master ASL! Units 1-10 Topics include: Sports and activities, daily routines, tense, descriptions of people and the natural world, geographic and local community, making plans, food, animals and classifiers. Learning Outcome 3: demonstrate an understanding of cultural norms and behaviors of people who are Deaf based upon interaction with the local deaf community, the curriculum Master ASL! and For Hearing People Only. Learning Outcome 4: demonstrate an understanding of the linguistic components of ASL based upon Master ASL! This section specifically will be targeting the five Syllabus Page 2 of 7
parameters of ASL, thus resulting in understanding the linguistics and grammatical structure of ASL. Course Requirements and Evaluation There are a total of six assignments. Three unit tests (Units 6, 7 and 8), deaf contact time, expressive assignment and a final exam (units 9 and 10). Unit Exams: (3) Comprehensive assessments covering material from the Unit studied. These exams are given in two sections. One section is receptive (vocabulary, numbers, fingerspelling and sentences) and the other section is a written format regarding ASL grammar, Deaf culture and its community. The content from Units 9 and 10 will be not tested on a Unit Exam. It will be included on the final exam. (100 points per exam) 300 points total Expressive assignment: ASL is a very expressive language and the student must be able to express their learned vocabulary over the course of the semester. The topic is a story that will cover the geographical vocabulary (units 3 and 9). Travel companions or those who you encountered on the trip, student must demonstrate the proper use of pronouns, number incorporation, family and friend vocabulary (units 2, 4 and 8). Activities, sports and events must be expressed with proper grammatical parameters (units 3, 5, 6 and 10). This expressive must include experiences with people, animals, food, geography, cultures, emotions and descriptive use of classifiers Deaf Time Log (community Interaction/conversation): There will be activities in the local Deaf community that students are encouraged to attend to begin conversational skills with a deaf person and exposure to the Deaf culture/community. Students attend 10 hours of Deaf Time. A log sheet is provided with this syllabus to record contact hours. Information regarding the meeting time and places for this activity will be provided as the semester progresses. 100 points. Class Participation: ASL is a visual and participatory language. Students are expected to participate and show their progress in class. You will be assigned a participation grade for each class meeting. If you fail to attend, a grade will not be assigned for that day. A signup sheet will be made available at the beginning of each class. You must sign the sheet to verify your attendance. The signatures will be verified during class. Do not ask someone to sign for you in your absence. If you are unable to attend a class, please contact me ahead of time. 70 points (5 points per class meeting) Final Exam: A written, comprehensive final exam will be given at the end of the semester during the regularly scheduled final exam time. The exam will cover key concepts discussed during the semester specifically from Master ASL! Units 9 and 10. Selected chapters (66-130) from For Hearing People Only. The exams will be given as scheduled unless the college is closed due to bad weather. In the event that classes are cancelled, the exam will be given at the next scheduled class period. The final exam will not exceed two and one-half hours. 100 points Grade Computation: Your final grade for this course is based on the 3 unit exams, the final exam, the Deaf Log, and class participation (14 class meetings not counting the Syllabus Page 3 of 7
final exam taken in week 15). A maximum total of 570 points can be earned in this course. Assessments % of Final Grade Grading Scale passed on Points Earned Unit Exams 50% A = 470-421.5 Final Exam 20% B = 421 372.5 Deaf Time Log 20% C = 372 323.5 Class Participation 10% D = 323 247.5 F = 247 and below Policies and Responsibilities Cell phones and pagers: Please keep cell phones in the off or silent position. If a family emergency is imminent, please let the instructor know before class. You will be allowed then to put your phone on vibrate mode. Texting: Texting is not allowed during class. Food and beverages: Due to the length of class, snacks are permitted. Academic Integrity- All work must be completed individually unless otherwise stated. Commission of any of the following acts shall constitute scholastic dishonesty: acquiring or providing information for any assigned work or examination from any unauthorized source; informing any person or persons of the contents of any examination prior to the time the exam is given in any subsequent sections of the course or as a makeup; plagiarism; submission of a paper or project that is substantially the same for two courses unless expressly authorized by the instructor to do so. For more information, see the Code of Student Life 1. Acceptable Student Behavior Classroom behavior should not interfere with the instructor s ability to conduct the class or the ability of other students to learn from the instructional program (Code of Student Life). Unacceptable or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Students engaging in unacceptable behavior may be instructed to leave the classroom. Inappropriate behavior may result in disciplinary action or referral to the University s Behavioral Intervention Team. This prohibition applies to all instructional forums, including electronic, classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. Syllabus Page 4 of 7
ADA Statement West Texas A&M University seeks to provide reasonable accommodations for all qualified persons with disabilities. This University will adhere to all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford an equal educational opportunity. It is the student's responsibility to register with Student Disability Services 2 (SDS) and to contact faculty members in a timely fashion to arrange for suitable accommodations. Contact Information: Student Success Center, CC 106; phone (806) 651-2335. Evacuation Statement If you receive notice to evacuate the building, please evacuate promptly but in an orderly manner. Evacuation routes are posted in various locations indicating all exits, outside assemble area, location of fire extinguishers, fire alarm pull stations and emergency telephone numbers (651-5000 or 911). In the event an evacuation is necessary: evacuate immediately do not use elevators; take all personal belongings with you; report to outside assembly area and wait for further information; students needing assistance in the evacuation process should bring this to the attention of the instructor at the beginning of the semester. Tentative Class Schedule Class Meeting Date Week 1 Assignment Introduction to ASL II Topics to be Covered Unit 6 Objectives: *To sign about sports *Understand the Five parameters of ASL *ASL Literature *Expansion of Classifiers *Tense: Past, Present and Future *Rule of 9 Week 2 Unit 6 Week 3 Unit 6 Week 4 MLK Day/no class Unit 6 Test Week 5 Unit 7 Objectives: *To sign about daily routines and activities *Noun-Verb pairs in ASL *Describe clothing *Spatial organization Syllabus Page 5 of 7
*Understand the sign language continuum Week 6 Unit 7 Week 7 Unit 7 Week 8 No class Spring Break Unit 7 Test Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Unit 8 Objectives: *Describe a person s physical appearance *Personality and Characteristics *Improve ASL narrative skills *Learn about Deaf-Blind communication *Discuss Health Issues *Describe the natural world and environment Unit 8 Unit 8 Test Expressive assignment Week 12 due Unit 9 Week 13 Unit 9 Week 14 Unit 10 Week 15 Semester Test review Week 16 Semester test Units 9 and 10 For Hearing People Only This schedule is subject to change due to changes and scheduling activities, deaf events, guest speakers and weather. You will be responsible for keeping up with the DVD in the Master ASL and the readings in For Hearing People Only. Syllabus Page 6 of 7
Deaf time log You must have 10 hours of Deaf contact time. Document correctly and don t forget to get information to attach to the form! You may use a Ziploc bag to collect and turn in on the night of the final exam. 1. Event Date Signature of person of authority 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Total hours: 1 http://www.wtamu.edu/webres/file/student%20life/web-2012-2013-code-of-student-life.pdf 2 http://www.wtamu.edu/student-support/disability-services.aspx Syllabus Page 7 of 7