This online course is an introduction to American Sign Language (ASL), a visual/gestural language used by Deaf people in the United States and Canada.  Course will emphasize visual readiness skills in the first few weeks as students learn to recognize and express spatial relationships, use appropriate facial expressions and body movements, respond to commands and learn to visualize things in the environment.  Communicative functions, vocabulary, grammar and cultural aspects of the Deaf community will be introduced and studied throughout the course. Final grade is based on tests, class participation, homework assignments, and a final exam.  

Date: Open enrollment. Start anytime - up to 6 months to complete.

Course Objectives

  • Demonstrate comprehension of simple questions and statements by producing short one to two sentence responses.
  • Ask questions within conversational interactions involving introduction of self and exchanging personal information about school, work, family, friends, daily activities, and likes/dislikes.
  • Demonstrate ASL-appropriate conversational communication behaviors.
  • Demonstrate comprehension of names and other commonly spelled words of three to four letters and more, when finger spelled at a normal rate.
  • Fingerspell the names and commonly finger spelled words of three to four letters and more, at a moderate to normal rate of speed within a conversational context.
  • Understand and express the numbers 1 – 100
  • Identify the cultural beliefs, values, attitudes and perspectives of Deaf people and compare to other cultures as well as to students’ own culture.
  • Demonstrate in writing and through online interactions a basic knowledge of the linguistic structure of ASL, and the historical and contemporary issues that impact Deaf culture and the Deaf community.

Course Code: UASL 100 

Certificate Price: $899, 9 CEUs

No textbook requirement.