ASL& 121 - American Sign Language I

5 CR

Introduces the foundations of American Sign Language (ASL). Students learn visual-gestural communication, fingerspelling, basic sentence structure, and key grammatical features of ASL while developing an understanding of Deaf culture and community. Emphasis is placed on expressive and receptive skills through immersive, no-voice classroom participation. This course requires real time interactive language practice. Note: Fulfills humanities course requirement at BC.

Recommended: This course is for students with no previous experience learning ASL
Course Outcomes

Demonstrate comprehension and production of foundational ASL vocabulary and grammar.
Apply proper use of ASL parameters: handshape, movement, location, palm orientation, and non-manual markers.
Use and understand fingerspelling, numbers, and basic time concepts accurately in conversation.
Construct and interpret simple sentences using ASL’s topic-comment and OSV (Object-Subject-Verb) structures.
Demonstrate culturally appropriate behaviors, attention-getting strategies, and backchanneling in Deaf interactions.
Explain key aspects of Deaf culture, history, and identity, and compare them to their own cultural experiences.
Engage in short conversations such as greetings, introductions, and daily exchanges using appropriate ASL grammar.

GenEd Outcomes: Communication

Listening and Speaking

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