MODL 1161

This course provides an introduction to American Sign Language (ASL) for individuals who have little or no prior knowledge of it. Students gain a fundamental appreciation for how signed languages differ from spoken languages, with emphasis on ASL's essential 3-dimensionality, i.e., their visual-gestural nature, requiring students to use their eyes to take in linguistic information, and their hands, face and body to convey linguistic information. This course provides an immersive classroom experience: in it, students learn through demonstration and extensive practice to recognize various visual grammatical features and develop beginning-level vocabulary.