Plan of Study – Deaf Community Studies

A survey of American Sign Language and Deaf culture. Emphasis on Sign language structure, history, and usage. Discussion of a sociocultural perspective of Deaf people including readings from anthropology, sociology, linguistics, and education. Includes an examination of American attitudes toward Sign language and Deaf culture.

Development of basic ASL communication skills with appropriate vocabulary and grammatical structures. Emphasis on communicative and linguistic functions. Prerequisite or corequisite: SLS 1000.

Development of basic ASL communication skills with appropriate vocabulary and grammatical structures. Emphasis on communicative and linguistic functions. Prerequisite: SLS 1000 and SLS 1015 or placement.

Guided laboratory practicum: Foundational activities building on basic receptive skills with application to real interactions along with reflection and research. Prerequisite: SLS 1020

Review of ASL grammatical features and further development of communication functions at the intermediate level. Prerequisites: SLS 1020 and SLS 1020.LB or placement. Corequisite: SLS 2010.LB

Guided laboratory practicum: Continuation of foundational activity building on basic receptive skills with increased use of visual spatial space. Corequisite: SLS 2010

Second level of immediate instruction and review of ASL grammatical features with further development of communication functions at the intermediate level. Prerequisite: SLS 2010 or placement. Thirty hours of laboratory practicum required for SLS 2020.

Guided laboratory practicum: Students will begin modeling ASL discourse and make applications to mock setting and real-world settings. Corequisite: SLS 2020

Examination of Deaf culture through the lens of intersectionality and exploration of how various social, cultural, and identity factors intersect within the Deaf community. Analysis of how hearing society shapes and influences Deaf culture, both historically and in contemporary contexts. Investigation of the global diversity of Deaf experiences through the use of literature, media, and narratives from Deaf communities around the world, with an emphasis on cross-cultural perspectives. Prerequisite: SLS 1000

Advanced American Sign Language development with a focus on text analysis of English and ASL content to increase student vocabulary and understanding of ASL syntactical patterns. Communicative dialogues will highlight the sociocultural and historical aspects of ASL etymology. Prerequisite: SLS 2020.

Guided laboratory practicum: Students will continue modeling ASL discourse and make applications to mock settings and real-world settings along with analysis of distinctive ASL features seen in ASL storytelling. Prerequisite: SLS 2020

Advanced American Sign Language development utilizing increased grammatical complexity through continued emphasis on ASL syntactical patterns through different scenarios and nuances. Prerequisite: SLS 3010.

Guided laboratory practicum: Increased complexity of ASL discourse in a variety of real-world settings. Prerequisites: SLS 3020, SLS 3010.

Concentrated instruction in practice of fingerspelling, numbering, and loan signs at increasing levels of complexity. Corequisite: SLS 2020.

Examination of American Sign Language (ASL) with focus on how language use varies according to context, setting, and social factors. Identification and utilization of different ASL registers, including formal, informal, and specialized registers, and examine how these registers reflect the values, norms, and expectations of the American Deaf community. Through interactive exercises, students will gain practical skills in adjusting their ASL usage to suit various situations. Prerequisite: SLS 2020.

Exploration of the structure and use of discourse in American Sign Language (ASL), with a focus on the transliteration process of converting English into ASL while preserving context, meaning, and cultural nuances. Examination of ASL Expansions and English Compression strategies to aid students in the transliteration process while considering the goals, units, and details of each translation. Prerequisite: SLS 3810.

Analysis of the symbolic and linguistic structure of American Sign Language and English. Includes aspects of phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. Examination of bilingual practices and related research. Prerequisite: SLS 3020 and SLS 3020.LB

Capstone course for senior-level students in the Department of Sign Language Studies. Students construct electronic/video portfolios of their academic and professional work in the respective areas of concentration (either Deaf Studies or Interpreting). After passing a written comprehensive examination, the culminating demonstration of students' program accomplishments is made through a presentation to peers and faculty. To be taken in the student's final academic year of the program.

Growth and development of the young child from birth through age eight, including both typical and atypical characteristics and needs of young children, with a particular focus on theory and current research in the field. Exploration of ways to create learning environments that are healthy, respectful, responsive, supportive, and challenging for young children. Introduction of the Universal Education Vision and Principles.

A survey of clinical and developmental aspects of hearing and deafness. Includes discussion of basic audiology, deaf education, and communicative implications of hearing loss. Prerequisite: SLS 1000.

History and evolution of community resource development as a contributing force behind social change within the Deaf Community. Covers topics such as education, vocational rehabilitation services, community mental health programs for Deaf persons, and community service agencies (national, state, and local). Prerequisite: SLS 1000.

Presents the history and evolution of civil rights laws affecting individuals in the Deaf Community and the impact on integration into society. Details federal laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as state special education laws, laws governing interpreters, housing, employment and other related laws and regulations that affect the daily lives of Deaf citizens. Prerequisite: SLS 1000.

The use of American Sign Language as a form of story-telling, poetry, and drama. ASL literature is analyzed and incorporated as part of receptive/expressive language development and advanced skills enhancement. Includes exploration of the canons of Deaf literature and drama. Prerequisite: SLS 3020 or departmental approval.

Observation and practicum in community-based service organizations and agencies, educational programs, vocational rehabilitation, or related areas. Documentation of placement-related experiences with on-site personnel. Requires guided reflection with instructor on regular basis. Prerequisite: SLS 2450 and SLS 3470, and departmental approval.

Analysis of major social issues/problems in the US and globally from a sociological perspective. Consideration of national and international implications. Focus on issues of stratification (social class, race, gender), deviance, industrial conflict, warfare, environmental pollution, and consumption. Analyses of specific social movements that respond to political and economic contradictions. Focus areas may include: media and public opinion; social inequality and justice; social control and deviance; and belief, religion, and science. May include an academic service learning component.

A study of the strategies and stylistic devices which lead to clear, concise, and complete business writing. Various types of business letters, memoranda, proposals, and reports are examined and developed. Prerequisite: WRT 1020.

Focus on the building of public speaking skills needed in education, personal life, and careers in order to effectively communicate thoughts and feelings. Students evaluate the communication efforts of others and increase their critical listening skills.

A linguistics course providing an historical sketch of the development of the English language, examining the interplay between theory of language and approaches to the study of grammar. By analyzing English phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics, the course shows the changing nature of language and emphasizes how that change is influenced by politics and culture. The effects of dialect and register on communication in English are explored. Applications to teaching grammar in elementary and secondary settings are examined.

Biological approach to health and disease in man. Study of drugs, smoking, alcohol, venereal disease, sex education, nutrition, heredity, and topics of current interest. (For non-science majors.)

Workshops or seminars include topics related to the Deaf community, Deaf culture, Sign Language, education, and related issues. (May be repeated for credit, as topics vary.)