Apr 12, 2026  
2024-2025 Academic Calendar 
    
2024-2025 Academic Calendar [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

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ASL 101 - American Sign Language Level I Part A

3 Credits


Outline Effective Date 2024 Fall
11 (2024-2025)

Lecture Hours: 45
Lab Hours: 0
Practicum Hours: 0
Tutorial Hours: 0

Course Description:
In this course, students are introduced to American Sign Language (ASL), its culture, and to the community of Deaf persons who use this language. Students learn how to have basic conversations as well as use appropriate behaviours within the Deaf Community. 

Rationale:
Individuals working with the Deaf community need to develop basic, practical communication and conversational skills. The content of this course provides the foundational knowledge and skills required to begin interacting with the Deaf community. 

Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None

Course Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: 

  1. Use ASL to: 

  • Exchange personal information

  • Describe an object or item visually

  • Discuss living situations

  • Demonstrate introductory skills in talking about family

  • Converse about activities

  • Demonstrate an introductory use of classifiers

  • Use numbers 1 - 100 when communicating

  • Fingerspell words



Required Resource Materials:

Lentz, E. M., Smith, C., & Mikos, K. (2018). Signing naturally student
workbook.
Units 1-6.  

ISBN: 978-1-58121-210-5. 

Optional Resource Materials:

Patrie, C. J., & Johnson, R. E. Fingerspelled Word Recognition through Rapid Serial Visual
Presentation (RSVP).

ISBN: 9781581210392 

Conduct of Course:
This course has 45 hours of instruction that includes a combination of lectures, video clips, activities, group and individual practices, discussions, reviews, video-recordings, and skills practice sessions. Students are encouraged to practice outside of class. 

Lessons are presented in context. Activities provide students with opportunities to engage in meaningful and exploratory conversations. Each unit builds upon the previous information. 

This is an immersion course, which means students should not use their voices in class. The best way to learn ASL is to stop thinking and speaking in an oral language like English.

Regular attendance and participation in class are essential for success in any course. Openness to accepting and incorporating feedback regarding your ASL skills is important; this in turn will help contribute to your sense of confidence as you develop your skills and feel the excitement of learning a new language. 

Absence for any reason does not relieve a student of the responsibility of completing course work and assignments to the satisfaction of the instructor. Students are responsible for catching up on any missed material. Students should exchange contact information with other students to keep up with any missed classes. More than two (2) absences may result in probation. 

In cases of repeated absences due to illness, the student may be requested to submit a medical certificate.  

Instructors have the authority to require attendance in classes. 

Content of Course:
Unit One: Introducing Oneself 

Unit Two: Exchanging Personal Information 

Unit Three: Discussing Living Situations 

Course Assessments:
 

Class Activities

10%

Progress Check 1

30%

Progress Check 2

30%

Progress Check 3

30%

Total

100%



Course Pass Requirements:
A minimum grade of C (60%) (2.0) is required to pass this course. In addition, Students must maintain a cumulative grade of C (GPA - Grade Point Average of 2.00) in order to qualify to graduate. Students are responsible for monitoring their academic progress and requesting assistance as necessary. Students who do not achieve the minimum passing grade are referred to the Registrar and placed on Academic Probation, and required to demonstrate successful completion of course goals, within a specified time period, prior to completion of the program.



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