Academic Catalogs

SIGN G285: American Sign Language 4

Course Outline of Record
Item Value
Top Code 085000 - Sign Language
Units 4 Total Units 
Hours 72 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 72)
Total Outside of Class Hours 0
Course Credit Status Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee No
Basic Skills Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable No
Grading Policy Standard Letter (S), 
  • Pass/No Pass (B)
Local General Education (GE)
  • GWC Arts, Lit, Phil, Lang (GC)
California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)
  • Cal-GETC 6A Language Other Than English (6A)
Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)
  • IGETC 6A Lang other than Engl (6A)
California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth)
  • CSU C2 Humanities (C2)

Course Description

This course is an advanced study of American Sign Language (ASL). Emphasis is on acquiring advanced vocabulary and using complex grammar. Students will learn the proper use of classifiers, narrative structure, and enumeration. Students develop expressive and receptive fluency in the context of Deaf culture and Deaf community. ADVISORY: SIGN G280. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

  1. Course Outcomes
  2. Produce narratives using ASL time markers at an advanced level.
  3. Produce narratives using ASL classifiers and locatives at an advanced level.
  4. Produce a narrative using ASL role shifting at an advanced level.

Course Objectives

  • 1. apply correct grammatical markers to narrate an unforgettable moment.
  • 2. apply correct grammatical form to share an interesting fact.
  • 3. explain a rule.
  • 4. explain a major decision.
  • 5. explain an accident.
  • 6. synthesize learned cultural experiences into a narrative.

Lecture Content

Narrating unforgettable moments     A. Basic role shifting and sequencing     B. Pass, throw and spill          1. Instrument classifiers          2. Locative classifiers          3. Descriptive classifiers          4. Element classifiers     C. Tripping and falling          1. Semantic classifiers          2. Locative classifiers     D. Injuries and mishaps          1. Body classifiers          2. Body part classifiers     E. Narrative structure Sharing interesting facts     A. Describing parts          1. Whole-parts          2. Fractions          3. Ratios          4. Percentages     B. Listing          1. Ranking          2. Top five          3. Top, most, oldest     C. Comparing          1. Contrastive structure          2. Topicalization          3. Rhetorical questions     D. Interpretating a fact      E. Illustrating a fact Explaining rules     A. Driving rules     B. Societal rules     C. Cultural rules and customs     D. Game rules Relating accidents     A. Narrative sequence and structure          1. Non-manual behavior and head movements          2. Transistions          3. Movement agreement          4. Related key vocabulary and phrases     B. Specific types of accidents          1. Horse incidents          2. Bicycle incidents          3. Automobile incidents Talking about money     A. Money concepts     B. Banking     C. Finances     D. Investments     E. Related key vocabulary and phrases Making major decisions     A. Choosing a college     B. Choosing a career     C. Relocating     D. Getting married     E. Getting divorced     F. Having a baby     G. Purchasing a car     H. Purchasing a house Discussing health conditions     A. Describing the human body and its anatomy     B. Body systems and functions          1. Digestive    nb      2. Circulatory          3. Respiratory          4. Skeletal          5. Muscular          6. Nervous          7. Reproductive     C. Medical conditions          1. Symptoms          2. Causes          3. Treatments Storytelling     A. "The Frog Prince"     B. "The Bridge of Magpies"     C. "The Merchants Daughter and Slanderer"     D. "The Magic Mirror of Rabbi Adam"     E. "The Twelve Dancing Princesses"     F. Developing stories          1. Placement of characters          2. Movement of characters and objects               a. Movement vocabulary               b. Role shift          3. Maintaining continuity               a. Time signs               b. Modifying verbs               c. Transitions          4. Character development      nb    5. Special narrative features               a. Repeated sequences               b. Rhythmic sign movements               c. Metamorphosis

Method(s) of Instruction

  • Lecture (02)
  • DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
  • DE Online Lecture (02X)

Reading Assignments

TextbookWebsitesHandouts

Writing Assignments

Demonstrate sign vocabulary in classDemonstrate narratives in classDemonstrate enumeration techniquesAnalyze discourse and choose appropriate grammatical structure

Out-of-class Assignments

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Demonstration of Critical Thinking

Analysis of American Sign language discourse structure to formulate correct grammatical usage. Analysis of American Sign language story components to correctly choose enumeration techniques, role shifting techniques and characterization techniques.

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Demonstrate sign vocabulary in class Demonstrate narratives in class Demonstrate enumeration techniques Analyze discourse and choose appropriate grammatical structure

Eligible Disciplines

Foreign languages: Masters degree in the language being taught OR bachelors degree in the language being taught AND masters degree in another language or linguistics OR the equivalent. Masters degree required.

Textbooks Resources

1. Required Smith, Lentz and Mikos. Signing Naturally Student Level 3, 1st (Latest) ed. Dawn Sign Press, 2003 2. Optional Cokely Baker. ASL, ed. , 3. Optional Padden Humphries. ABCs of Signing, ed. ,