In this course, students will develop ASL receptive and expressive skills needed to communicate series of connected 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-High 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.

In this course, students will develop ASL skills needed to create complex narratives composed of an introduction, main points, supporting points, transitions, and a closing. At the end of the semester, students will achieve effective communication by using grammar, translation skills, and cultural protocols for conveying details about abstract concepts at an Advanced-Mid level as defined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Activities include delivering presentations, storytelling, 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 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.

The New Signers Program is an intensive, fast-paced, summer pre-college experience designed for newly admitted deaf and hard-of-hearing students who have little or no prior skill in American Sign Language. Through a variety of learning experiences such as lectures, small group activities, and evening activities where students interact with other deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, students will learn how to use ASL to communicate in real-world conversations and situations that are likely to occur on the college campus. Students will reach at a Novice-Low to Novice-Mid ASL level as recognized by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Interactive evening activities provide opportunities for students to be immersed in deaf culture. Students will also prepare self-reflection journals in which they document their development as signers and members of the Deaf community.

This course will offer beginning level Mexican Sign Language "Lengua de Senas Mexicana" (LSN). Students are required to have at least intermediate level of ASL skills. In this course, students will learn basic vocabulary, alphabet, numbers, and grammatical aspects of LSM, which they will compare with those of ASL. In addition, they will learn about Mexican culture, traditions, norms, and values along with Mexican deaf culture and compare those with the general U.S. culture and Deaf culture in the United States.

This course provides an overview of how second languages have traditionally been taught, what the current methods and theories are, and their applications to the teaching of American Sign Language. Students are provided opportunities to practice basic teaching techniques, selection of appropriate materials, design lesson plans, and use of evaluation techniques, current technology, including how to teach Deaf culture and ASL grammatical features in lessons. Students learn about resources to support their efforts to teach American Sign Language.