Course Overview:

In the American Sign Language 1 online course, students will become familiar with the ABCs, fingerspelling, and basic language skills; communicate in very basic everyday life situations, including common greetings, daily activities, sharing their school and family background; describe their living situation; and understand very simple ASL conversations. The main grammar focus of the course will be explaining and learning the differences in ASL parameters of fingerspelling and signs: hand shapes, location, movement, palm orientation, and facial expression. These parameters will indicate the difference between statements and questions along with a verb-subject syntax that does not require articles. This includes the definite and indefinite pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, personal pronouns, some question words, negation, sentences, and an introduction to some verbs.

The central themes of the online course are to identify the 5Ws + H questions, survival signs, basic verbs, leisure activities, family, relationship status, living situations, school background, languages, likes, preferences, dos and don’ts, some foods, some drinks, and entertaining activities. The student learning outcomes of this level are to be able to tell numbers from 1-60; talk about their personal information, experiences at school, favorite things or preferences, pets, and things/objects in their house or school; talk about what they like to do; and express what they feel and why.