vcc.ca
ASLD 2180: American Sign Language Level 8
Effective date
September 2023
Department
Sign Language Interpretation
School
Arts and Sciences
Description
This course guides intermediate-advanced ASL users to focus on developing skills in comprehending and using ASL narrative techniques, classifiers and locatives, and ASL non-manual markers with the mouth. Students will advance their skills in creating cohesive ASL discourse using appropriate discourse topic and transition markers. Students will also apply skills related to discourse mapping of ASL texts and reconstruct ASL discourse from diagrams of their own design. This course is required for students in the Sign Language Interpretation program.
Credits
3.0
Year of study
2nd Year Post-secondary
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate intermediate-advanced ASL narration skills to do the following: Incorporate appropriate use of non-manual markers in signed utterances; Use appropriate register when sharing and giving opinion; Construct cohesive narrative discourse with appropriate discourse markers and pauses for topic transition/maintenance; Appropriately incorporate the narrative techniques of constructed dialogue and constructed action; Use a wide variety of classifiers and locatives; Use appropriate number formats for particular contexts; and Maintain appropriate temporal aspect and use time/tense markers
- Analyze and diagram ASL texts to determine main points and supporting detail
- Identify the 7 techniques for expansion/contextualization in ASL
- Reconstruct ASL texts working from one’s own discourse map
- Demonstrate versatility to produce ASL discourse in different genres
Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)
None
Hours
Lecture, Online, Seminar, Tutorial: 60
Total Hours: 60
Total Hours: 60
Instructional Strategies
Class activities may include lecture and language lab, demonstration/modelling, dialogue and small group conversational practice, course readings, videos, and shadowing language models, among others.
Grading System
Letter Grade (A-F)
Passing grade
B+
Evaluation Plan
|
Type |
Percentage |
Assessment activity |
|
Quizzes/Tests |
10 |
Evaluate factual knowledge of ASL & Deaf culture; receptive and expressive ASL skills; assigned dialogues and interactions |
|
Assignments |
40 |
2 video assignments |
|
Midterm Exam |
30 |
2 midterm exams |
|
Final Exam |
20 |
|
Course topics
- Sentence structures, vocabulary and narrative techniques: - Non-manual markers made with the mouth - Rhetorical questions - Relative clauses - Use of left/right space for comparisons - Constructed dialogue and constructed action - Time/tense markers and use of timelines - Discourse genres: instructional, argumentative, informational, expository & persuasive - 7 expansion/contextualization techniques
- Building knowledge of ASL’s numbering systems: - Variations in context-specific ordinal number formats - Variations in context-specific cardinal number formats - Money-related numbers and vocabulary
- Narrating about major decisions, accidents, money management: - Discourse markers for sequencing, comparing, explaining - Related verbs and other vocabulary - Sharing and giving opinions
- Introduction to Deaf advocacy organizations and events: - Local, provincial, national, international
Learning resources
Smith, Cheri. (2008). Signing Naturally 3. Student Workbook. San Diego, CA: DawnSignPress.
Notes:
- Course contents and descriptions, offerings and schedules are subject to change without notice.
- Students are required to follow all College policies including ones that govern their educational experience at VCC. Policies are available on the VCC website at:
https://www.vcc.ca/about/governance--policies/policies/. - To find out if there are existing transfer agreements for this course, visit the BC Transfer Guide at https://www.bctransferguide.ca.