This course is designed to develop conversational discourse and presentation skills in American Sign Language (ASL). It provides students with the foundational knowledge necessary to engage in ASL discourse in basic presentations, dialogues, and group settings. Students will expand their knowledge of ASL vocabulary and linguistic features; identify main ideas, supporting details, and transitions in ASL discourse; improve their ASL comprehension and expression; apply cultural interaction behaviors appropriate to given settings; deliver short presentations in ASL; and learn how to assess their ASL abilities and develop an ASL personal improvement plan.

In this course, students will develop ASL receptive and expressive skills needed to communicate discrete paragraphs using complex connected sentences. At the end of the semester, students will achieve effective communication by using vocabulary, grammar, and cultural protocols for conveying details about less familiar topics at an Intermediate-Mid level as defined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Activities include delivering presentations and lab exercises that provide extensive hands-on practice using a variety of media. Students are expected to engage with members of the Deaf community in order to learn about Deaf co-culture in the United States.

ASL I includes linguistic features, cultural protocols and core vocabulary for students to function in basic ASL conversations that include ASL grammar for asking and answering questions while introducing oneself, exchanging personal information, talking about family, friends and surroundings, and discussing activities. This course is designed for students who have no knowledge of American Sign Language. Students must take placement exam if this is their first RIT class in Sign Language and they have some prior study of Sign Language.

This course builds upon information taught in Beginning ASL I and II and introduces expanded grammatical features of ASL and specialized vocabulary, while continuing to increase fingerspelling and numbers receptive and expressive skills. In addition, some basic features of ASL discourse are taught in organizing and explaining contextual information.

This course builds upon information taught in Beginning ASL I-Intermediate ASL I. Students continue learning and using ASL vocabulary, grammatical principles and various intermediate-level discourse features in narratives and presentations in ASL. Students analyze multiple meaning English words and English idioms to express concepts in ASL. Issues related to Deaf culture continue to be introduced based on unit topics.