American Sign Language Level 3 (novice-high to intermediate-low) Course Description ASL Level 3 furthers the study of grammar, vocabulary, idioms, multiple meaning words, finger spelling, and classifiers through text, signing presentations, dialogues, cultural experiences, and supported written word. ASL students improve their knowledge of communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, literature relative to the deaf culture, and communities of the deaf culture and American Sign Language. Students begin to engage in group conversations using lower level thinking skills. Arts and Entertainment Ecology Careers Topics at a Glance House and Home Literature and Poetry Storytelling Media and Technology Current Events Assessments Students will be assessed on all four standards, including interpretative (signing, watching), interpersonal (signing, and written), and presentational (formal signing/writing). Each assessment will address one or more standard. History and Deaf Culture Review Topics from ASL 1 and 2 This curriculum is similar to curriculum written for students learning any second language. It includes ASL instruction and Deaf cultural awareness components. ASL is the visual-spatial language that is used by the majority of Deaf adults in the United States and Canada. It is a complete language with its own structure, grammatical rules, and semantic expressions. ASL is a highly complex language, allowing the free and natural expression of any thoughts and concepts that might be produced in a spoken language. Students who find written languages challenging to learn (at risk, special needs) tend to find success with ASL due to its visual- kinetic nature and lack of written requirements within the language itself. The American Sign Language (ASL) classrooms are characterized by students actively engaged in learning and by teachers serving as guides and facilitators for frequent interaction in the target language. Students develop language proficiency as they use the language in relevant and meaningful situations through the use of simulations, small group work, technology and authentic materials. Students are encouraged to increase their sensitivity to the Deaf culture, its values, customs, and traditions, and increase their understanding of ASL and respect the cultural and linguistic differences that they encounter in the classroom and the Deaf Community. (Gallaudet University,2004) Supalla, 1991)). In instructing students, emphasis will be given fluency in communication based on developmental expectation. Standards and benchmarks would have different expectations at different levels of student development. Thus the primary students performance skills would be different than the high school students. Considering the length of time needed to meet required proficiency levels much depends on when the student begins the study of the language, however, the school district should consider that it will take 300-500 hours of language instruction to attain the standards approved by (your local department/district).
Prepared Graduates: Expressing and comprehending information while interacting in ASL. Concepts and skills students master: Standard 1.1Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions. (interpersonal mode) Students discuss, in American Sign Language, current or past events that are of significance in the Deaf Culture or being studied in another subject. Students develop and propose solutions to issues and problems that are of concern to members of their own culture and to members of the Deaf Culture. Students exchange, support, and discuss their opinions and individual perspectives with peers on a variety of topics. Students recognize communication breakdown and request for or provide repair 1. Inquiry Questions: How does the context (people, place, purpose) affect how people engage in conversations with those who speak another language? 2. How do particular words and phrases help to start, maintain, and end conversations more effectively? 3. How do misunderstandings occur and how can they be addressed? Relevance and Application 1. Communication via webinars and video conferences takes place in multiple languages. 2. Exchanging ideas and opinions with people from different cultures can provide new perspectives on local and international issues. 3. ADA requires translators in all areas of public service such as hospitals, police and schools. ASL in the 2 nd highest needed language in the US. 1. Successful language learners find opportunities to communicate with other speakers of the target language. 2. Successful language learners recognize and correct their own errors and accept corrections from others.
Standard: Communicate in Languages other English
Prepared Graduates: Expressing and comprehending information while interacting in ASL. Concepts and skills students master:1.2: Students understand and interpret American Sign Language on a variety of topics. (interpretive mode) *watch, including literature, to increase knowledge of his/her culture, the culture of others, and common elements across cultures. *recognize distinctive and shared characteristics of cultures through watching/listening. * compare signed text events with his/her own and other signer s experiences * Interpret and imitate culturally appropriate verbal communication (such as idioms, colloquial language, slang Inquiry Questions: 1. What do people need to know, understand, and be able to do to correctly interpret what they hear and read in another language? 2. What strategies can people use to aid in comprehension? 3. How does background knowledge help in interpreting meaning? Relevance and Application: 1. Written and spoken information in articles and videos on websites is available in multiple languages. 2. Negotiating meaning with people from different cultures contributes to mutual understanding in international personal and business relations. 3. In order to understand a culture, a learner needs to understand the culture s literature. 1. Language learners realize that it takes a significant amount of time to become proficient in another language. 2. Successful language learners use and adapt comprehension strategies for various situations.
Standard: 1.2
Standard: 1.3 Prepared Graduates: Expressing and comprehending information while interacting in ASL. Concepts and skills students master: Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics. (presentational mode) a. Use conventions of sign language effectively. b. use informal, standard, and technical language effectively to meet the needs of purpose, audience, occasion, and task. c. Prepare, organize, and present a variety of informative messages correctly d. Use effective manual and nonmanual strategies in presenting messages e. Ask clear questions for a variety of purposes and respond appropriately to the questions of others. f. Make relevant contributions in conversations and discussions. Inquiry Questions: 1. What do people need to know, understand, and be able to do to effectively present oral and written information in another language? 2. How does the audience affect the presentation? 3. Why is risk taking important in presentations? Relevance and Application: 1. Written and spoken information in archives and databases is available in multiple languages. 2. Translators and interpreters can make information in one language available to people who speak other languages. 1. Language learners realize that it takes a significant length of time to be proficient in another language. 2. Successful language learners use and adapt presentation strategies for different audiences and purposes.
Standard: 2.1 Prepared Graduates: Developing knowledge and understanding of Deaf culture in which ASL is used. Concepts and skills students master: Students demonstrate cultural understanding of practices, products, and perspectives appropriate to the culture in which ASL is used. * discuss and analyze the diversity of beliefs, attitudes, and mores within the Deaf community. * identify, analyze, and discuss various patterns of behavior and interaction typical of the Deaf culture. identify, examine, and discuss connections between the perspectives of the Deaf culture and socially approved behavior patterns. Inquiry Questions: 1. How does the culture affect how people engage in conversations with those who speak another language? 2. How does background knowledge of a culture help in interpreting and understanding their perspectives? 3. How does the knowledge of the culture affect the presentation? 4. How does one behave in informal and formal Deaf social situations? Relevance and Application: 1. Being able to behave appropriately within a culture can provide new perspectives on local and international issues. 2. In order to understand a culture, a learner needs to understand the culture s behavior norms. 1. Successful language learners find opportunities fit in the culture s community. 2. Successful language learners know how to behave within their adopted culture.
Standard: 2.2 Prepared Graduates: Developing knowledge and understanding of the culture in which ASL is used. Concepts and skills students master: 2.2 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and the perspectives of Deaf culture *identify and analyze social, economic, legislative, and institutional issues that effect and have affected the Deaf community, to include the role of organizations of the Deaf with respect to these issues. *research and analyze Deaf heritage as it relates to history and the cultural arts. Inquiry Questions: 1. What do people need to know, understand, and be able to do in order to understand the culture of another language? 2. How can the issues and their solutions that effect people who are deaf and use ASL affect other areas of American society? 3. How is Deaf culture represented in history and the arts? Relevance and Application: 1. Understanding the social, economic, legislative, and institutional issues of one culture helps an individual understand their own. 2. In order to understand a culture, a learner needs to understand the culture s struggles, challenges, and history. 1. Successful language learners are able to immerse themselves into the culture of their adopted language. 2. Successful language learners stay current on the issues affecting their adopted culture.
Standard: 3.1 Prepared Graduates: Reinforcing and increasing knowledge of other subjects by using ASL. Concepts and skills students master: Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other subjects through their knowledge of and skills in using ASL. *discuss topics from other subject areas, and acquire information about the topic by using American Sign Language (e.g., government, civics, health). * project future technological advances that effect the Deaf, deafness, and American Sign Language Inquiry Questions: 1. What new technology advances will affect the Deaf, deafness, and ASL and how? 2. How does the topic affect how people engage in conversations with those who speak another language? Relevance and Application: 1. Discussing all nature of topics with people from different cultures contributes to mutual understanding in international personal and business relations. 2. In order to understand a culture, a learner needs to be able to discuss all nature of topics. 1. Successful language learners find opportunities and are able to discuss all nature of topics. 2. Technology and the Deaf, deafness and ASL have a unique interconnection as advances occur changing the culture.
Prepared Graduates: Reinforcing and increasing knowledge of other subjects by using ASL. Concepts and skills students master: 3.2 Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are available through ASL and Deaf Culture. * use their knowledge of diversity within the Deaf culture and their knowledge of American Sign Language to assume different points of view (e.g., class presentations, debates, role-plays) Inquiry Questions: 1. How does the diversity within a culture affect how people engage in conversations with those who speak another language? 2. What do people need to know and understand, about the diversity of the Deaf in order to correctly interpret what they hear and read in ASL? 3. How can the knowledge of a culture affect a student s viewpoint? Relevance and Application: 1. To study another language and culture gives one the powerful key to successful communication: knowing how, when and why and to say what to whom 2. In order to understand a culture, a learner needs to understand the culture s diversity 1. Successful language learners understand the diversity within Deaf culture and the deaf. 2. Successful language learners can discuss and support different views within their Name of course adopted culture. October 17,
Standard: 3.2
Prepared Graduates: Comparing and contrasting ASL and its culture with a student s own language and culture Concepts and skills students master: 4.1 Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of ASL and its culture through comparisons of their own language and culture. Inquiry Questions: *demonstrate differences 1. How does Deaf literature compare and differ with American literature? between auditory languages 2. How do particular words and phrases help to start, maintain, and end and the visual/conceptual conversations more effectively and how does this compare to English? language of American Sign Language, 3. How has ASL evolved over the last 200 years? including homophones. *analyze comparisons and differences between literary Relevance and Application: genres of American Sign Language and their own language 1. Understanding ideas and opinions with people from different cultures can provide new (e.g., poetry) perspectives on the literary genres. *compare and contrast 2. Negotiating meaning with people from different cultures contributes to mutual conversation initiator and conversation understanding in international personal and business relations. resuming techniques between American Sign Language and their own language. 1. Successful language learners can compare and contrast literary genres. * demonstrate an awareness 2. Successful language learners understand the evolution of language. that there are phrases that do not translate directly from American Sign Language to their own language. * study the evolution of American Sign Language (e.g., the Name role of of French course sign language, October 17,
English print). Standard: 4.1
Prepared Graduates: Comparing and contrasting ASL and its culture with a student s own language and culture 4.2 Concepts and skills students master: Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of Deaf culture studied and their own. * compare and contrast representatives of Deaf cultures and other cultures in a variety of literary genres. *compare and contrast Deaf organizations and organizations of other cultures with respect to their political impact. * compare and contrast how culture influences the idioms and nuances of meaning in American Sign Language and in their own language. * analyze relationships between products, practices and perspectives in American Sign Language and the Deaf culture and in their own language and culture. Inquiry Questions: 1. How has the Deaf affected political impact? 2. How does culture influence idioms within a language? 3. What relationships exist between Deaf culture and a student s home culture? Relevance and Application: 1. Competence in American Sign Language will provide students with cross cultural experiences, enable interactions with the Deaf community, including deaf students in public schools, and provide career opportunities that require such competency (e.g., education, counseling, interpreting). 2. Inclusion of American Sign Language in the continuum of courses in languages other than English may enable some students to attain knowledge of another language and culture who may not have been otherwise able to do so with offerings From the traditional modern and classical languages. 1. Successful language learners understand the literature of their adopted culture. 2. Successful language learners realize that it takes a significant amount of time to become proficient in another language and understand the culture s literature.
Standard: 4.2
Glossary of Terms Standard 1: Deaf, deaf, idiom, manual, nonmanual, Academic Vocabulary Standard 2: informal, formal, community, heritage, Standard 3: diversity, deafness, adopted culture Standard 4: auditory, visual, conceptual, literary genre, idiom, Word deaf Deaf idiom manual nonmanual informal formal community heritage diversity deafness adopted culture Definition A loss of hearing, generally total or nearly total A member of the deaf community who communicates mostly or all in ASL a construction or expression of one language whose parts correspond to elements in another language but whose total structure or meaning is not matched in the same way in the second language. Words and phrases made with hands Signal, grammar, etc. made with face and upper torso, not hands Language used with friends and family Language used with individuals who are NOT friends or family Individuals who share the same language and culture something that comes or belongs to one by reason of birth; an inherited lot or portion variety; multiformity partially or wholly lacking or deprived of the sense of hearing; unable to hear. the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc. that a
new language learner takes on. auditory visual conceptual Literary genre Pertaining to hearing Pertaining to sight concerned with the definitions or relations of the concepts of some field of enquiry rather than with the facts a class or category pertaining to or of the nature of books and writings,