ASL Course

Lesson 1 • Deaf Community and Identity

Examines Deaf culture, community values, and identity models. Provides cultural competence essential for respectful and effective ASL communication.

Lesson 2 • Etiquette and Cultural Norms

Covers appropriate behavior when interacting with Deaf individuals and within Deaf spaces. Prepares students to engage respectfully from the first interaction.

Lesson 3 • ASL as a Visual Language

Introduces ASL's linguistic properties including phonology, morphology, and syntax. Distinguishes ASL from English and dispels common misconceptions.

Lesson 1 • Manual Alphabet and Fingerspelling

Teaches the 26-letter manual alphabet and introduces fingerspelling as a lexical tool. Students develop both production and receptive fingerspelling skills.

Lesson 2 • ASL Handshape Inventory

Systematically practices all core ASL handshapes used across the lexicon. Accurate handshape production prevents misunderstanding and builds muscle memory.

Lesson 3 • The Five Parameters of ASL Signs

Introduces handshape, location, movement, palm orientation, and non-manual markers as the building blocks of every ASL sign. Foundational for accurate sign production.

Lesson 1 • Numbers, Time, and Calendar Signs

Teaches cardinal and ordinal numbers, time expressions, and calendar vocabulary. Enables students to schedule, plan, and discuss time-related topics.

Lesson 2 • Greetings, Introductions, and Farewells

Covers signs for meeting people, exchanging names, and closing conversations. Provides the first practical vocabulary set for real interactions.

Lesson 3 • Colors, Adjectives, and Descriptors

Teaches color signs, size, shape, and quality adjectives. Enables students to add detail and precision to descriptions and narratives.

Lesson 4 • Family, People, and Relationships

Introduces signs for family members, social roles, and relationship descriptors. Builds vocabulary for personal and professional conversations.

Lesson 1 • Negation and Question Formation

Covers yes/no questions, wh-questions, and negation using non-manual markers. Students form questions and negative statements with correct facial grammar.

Lesson 2 • Tense, Aspect, and Time Markers

Explains how ASL marks time through timeline establishment and aspect markers rather than verb inflection. Enables students to discuss past, present, and future events.

Lesson 3 • Spatial Grammar and Referencing

Teaches how signing space is used to establish and reference nouns, people, and locations. Spatial grammar is central to ASL's grammatical system.

Lesson 4 • Topic-Comment Sentence Structure

Introduces ASL's primary sentence order where the topic is established before the comment. Contrasts with English syntax to prevent direct translation errors.

Lesson 1 • Descriptive and Size-Shape Specifiers

Introduces size-and-shape specifiers (SASS) for describing physical attributes of objects. Expands descriptive range beyond lexical signs.

Lesson 2 • Introduction to Classifier Predicates

Defines classifiers as handshapes representing categories of referents in ASL. Establishes why classifiers are critical for descriptive and narrative signing.

Lesson 3 • Semantic Classifier Categories

Covers person, vehicle, animal, flat-surface, and instrument classifiers with examples. Students select appropriate classifiers based on referent characteristics.

Lesson 4 • Spatial Mapping in Descriptions

Applies spatial mapping to describe rooms, scenes, and geographic layouts. Students produce coherent spatial descriptions using classifiers and referencing.

Lesson 1 • Topic Introduction and Maintenance

Teaches how to introduce new topics, shift topics smoothly, and maintain coherence. Builds discourse-level skills beyond sentence production.

Lesson 2 • Conversational Practice Scenarios

Applies all conversational skills through structured role-play in realistic settings. Builds confidence and fluency through repeated interactive practice.

Lesson 3 • Turn-Taking and Conversation Management

Covers visual signals for initiating, holding, and yielding conversational turns. Replaces spoken-language cues with ASL-specific visual and spatial strategies.

Lesson 4 • Expressing Opinions and Emotions

Covers vocabulary and non-manual markers for expressing feelings, preferences, and opinions. Enables authentic and nuanced personal expression in ASL.

Lesson 1 • Narrative Structure in ASL

Introduces story grammar elements: orientation, complication, resolution, and coda in ASL. Provides the structural framework for all narrative production.

Lesson 2 • Character Establishment and Role Shifting

Teaches how to establish characters spatially and shift between them using body and gaze. Role shifting is the primary tool for dialogue and character voice.

Lesson 3 • Expressive Use of Space and Movement

Explores how signing space, movement size, and speed convey emotion and emphasis. Elevates narrative from functional to expressive and artistic.

Lesson 4 • Depicting Events with Classifiers

Applies classifier predicates to narrate action sequences and events dynamically. Integrates classifier skills into sustained narrative performance.

Lesson 1 • Proficiency Assessment and Goal Setting

Introduces standardized ASL proficiency frameworks and self-assessment tools. Students identify current level and create a personalized continued-learning plan.

Lesson 2 • Register and Style Variation in ASL

Examines formal, informal, and intimate registers in ASL and when each is appropriate. Enables students to adapt signing style to audience and context.

Lesson 3 • Complex Sentence and Discourse Structures

Covers conditional sentences, relative clauses, and multi-clause constructions in ASL. Expands grammatical range for sophisticated communication.

Lesson 4 • Idiomatic and Figurative ASL

Introduces ASL idioms, metaphors, and culturally specific expressions. Mastery of idioms signals advanced proficiency and cultural integration.