The course "Linguistics of American Sign Language" (SIGN 129) introduces ASL's phonological, morphological, syntactic, and semantic features. It also covers introductory concepts in semantics and sociolinguistics. Students will compare key linguistic components of ASL with similar structures found in other languages.

How this course works: 

• This course is entirely online. 

• I will send you a weekly Canvas list of tasks to complete (typically on Monday). Most assignments listed in Canvas will be due on Sunday, but you can meet them anytime that week if that works for you. The discussion post is due on Friday, so please reply to your classmates by Sunday. I recommend you routinely review the Canvas "calendar" on the green left-side toolbar. 

• Hopefully, you are already familiar with the "modules" and "pages" I have set up in Canvas. You will continue to go through these two or more times a week and watch/complete the tasks under each heading.  

How and when to attend our first week:

• First week of Canvas meeting on Monday 01/13/2025 - 05/02/2025 (This course is 16 weeks worth of 3 units & will be broken down into weekly modules posts for you to learn at your pace.) 

• This course is registered under Zero Text Book costs. No textbook is required for this course. 

• Please log on weekly and review the week's course material. Individual Assignments or Internet Assignments are due each week. Attendance will be taken based on your weekly submitted assignments. 

• Please submit your assignment by the due date; if you don't turn in your assignments, you will be marked absent for that week.

• Module One- Getting Started: ‘Water Cooler’ - due 01/13/2025

• Student Information Survey- due 01/15/2025

• Syllabus- due 01/15/2025

• Review Week One - Unit 1: What is Language and ASL: homework due 01/19/2025

The Canvas Welcome shows you to find your courses, contact your instructor, download the Canvas Student app, and get help with Canvas.

•  Canvas

This course is Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC), which means that all course materials will be available on Canvas without requiring the purchase of a textbook. 

ASL learners must trust themselves, their instructors, and their classmates. In a safe environment, this trust allows them to make mistakes without losing confidence. Linguistic philosophy in education posits that language is fundamental to all learning. Essentially, according to this philosophy, we learn best through language. My goal is to expose the linguistics of ASL learners to a broader audience and prepare them to understand the foundations of ASL.

“The Magnificent Six”  

1.    Utilize student support Services – instructor office hours, LLC, ASC, Student Success Specialists, Counselors, and computer labs.  

2.    Develop peer support Networks – form peer student groups, collaborate to accomplish challenging tasks, and reach out for help when absent. 

3.    Focus on the learning process, not the grade- recognize and appreciate your growing skills and knowledge.  

4.    Attend canvas and review the Module Section- make time at home and review them daily.   

5.    Be open to challenges and support your classmates- try out new ideas and skills in class and an assignment; be receptive to and respectful of views that challenge your thinking. 

6. Participate in class regularly and always ask for clarifications if you feel lost, confused, or frustrated.   

Student Learning Outcomes :

Given the following learning context, the student who satisfactorily completes this course should be able to achieve the following goals: 

1. Students will demonstrate their understanding through thoughtful connections, comparative analyses, and engaging in an in-depth exploration of ASL linguistics.

2. By completion, students will be able to describe and effectively apply aspects of ASL's linguistic structure and explore concepts of sociolinguistic diversity.

3. Comparative analysis of the linguistic properties and tendencies of American Sign Language and comparison of the structure of American Sign Language to spoken languages.

4. This includes studying American Sign Language's basic morphology, phonology, syntax, and sociolinguistics and its phrasing origins and connections to cultural history and social customs.