AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE BEGINNING I This course is an introduction to the basic skills in production and comprehension of American Sign Language (ASL). It includes the manual alphabet and numbers. Students will develop conversational ability, culturally appropriate behaviors, and ASL grammar. AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE BEGINNING II This course is a continuation of American Sign Language Beginning I. It develops receptive and expressive ability and allows recognition and demonstration of more sophisticated grammatical features of American Sign Language (ASL). Students increase their fluency and accuracy in fingerspelling and numbers and are afforded opportunities for interaction within the deaf community. AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE INTERMEDIATE I This course integrates and refines expressive and receptive skills in American Sign Language (ASL), including recognition of sociolinguistic variation. It is a practice-oriented approach to language acquisition, including the use of multimedia. AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE INTERMEDIATE II This course integrates expressive and receptive skills with emphasis on literature, discourse styles, and contextualization at an intermediate level. It provides students with information on idiomatic/colloquial usage for signs and grammatical structures for complex sentences. INTRODUCTION TO THE DEAF COMMUNITY This course provides an overview of the physical, social, and cultural implications of deafness and hearing loss within the context of the individual’s personal life, family, and community in today’s multicultural world. Emphasis is placed on current educational and vocational programs, legislation, technology, and other issues. DEAF CULTURE This course provides a historical and contemporary perspective of American Deaf culture using a sociocultural model. It includes cultural identity, values, group norms, communication, language, and significant contributions made by deaf people to the world. FINGERSPELLING FOR INTERPRETER TRAINING This course develops expressive and receptive fingerspelling skills. Receptive skills focus on whole word and phrase recognition as well as reading fingerspelling in context. Expressive skills focus on the development of speed, clarity, and fluency. VISUAL/GESTURAL COMMUNICATIONS This course develops skills in non-verbal communications. It emphasizes the use and understanding of facial expression, gestures, pantomime, and body language. Students will create and/or perform stories using these elements. INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERPRETING PROFESSION This course provides an overview of the field of sign language interpretation. It provides an historical framework for the principles, ethics, roles, responsibilities, and standard practices of the interpreting profession. INTERPRETING I This course provides an overview of the interpreting process and current models. It introduces the skills necessary to achieve message equivalency in interpreting. INTERPRETING II This course is a continuation of Interpreting I. It provides enhancement of interpreting skills and discourse analysis to increasingly complex tasks utilizing simulated interpreting experiences via multimedia materials. Emphasis is on skill analysis and peer evaluation. INTERPRETING III A practice oriented course to strengthen skills in the integration and application of processing more complex selections. Continued exposure to simulated interpreting experience through the use of multimedia material. This course will also include the use of computer laboratories, multimedia equipment and video equipment to assess and enhance sign-to-voice and voice-to-sign skill development. INTERPRETING IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS Increases awareness of current techniques, issues, and ethics in mainstreaming and bilingual/bicultural education practices. Includes a survey of technical signs and signed English systems currently in use. This course will also include the use of computer laboratories, multimedia equipment and video equipment to assess and enhance sign-to-voice and voice-to-sign skill development. SPECIALIZED INTERPRETING/TRANSLITERATING A focus on interpreting/transliterating with special populations (e.g., deaf/blind, high visual, oral) in specialized settings (e.g., religious, artistic, medical, legal, mental health). Reinforce basic theories and techniques in relation to the special population(s) and/or setting(s).