American Sign Language

Four students signing "UMBC" in American Sign Language
Discovery Scholars Carleigh Mayo, Dongli Deng, and Rachel Backert, and
Resident Assistant Manpreet Suri spelling “UMBC” using the American Sign Language alphabet.

There’s a new language option!*

American Sign Language (ASL) will fulfill UMBC’s GEP language requirement. Courses will be offered in the winter and spring semester’s.

Courses offered:

  • ASL 101 (spring)
  • ASL 102 (winter and spring)
  • ASL 201 (winter and spring)

ASL is a visual language that uses hand, facial and body movements to communicate. Sign language promotes communication with the Deaf community and can help babies communicate sooner and better. It can boost more effective brain function and links the mind and body in ways that other languages do not. It’s also the sixth most common language in the United States.

*GEP Language Requirement
Students need to complete a series of three language courses (or demonstrate proficiency) as part of UMBC’s General Education Program requirements.

Spring 2024

ASL 101

meets *GEP Language Requirement

Section: 01-LEC (5990)
Lecture: TuTh 5:30 – 6:45 p.m. | Web
Instruction Mode: Online
Meeting Dates: 01/29/2024 – 05/14/2024
Instructor: Debra Wolff

American Sign Language 101 is designed for students who have little or no previous knowledge of ASL. The course emphasizes simple receptive and expressive conversational skills and the unique features of American Sign Language grammar. Readiness for learning will be approached via visual-gestural communication techniques, visual discrimination, and visual memory exercises, emphasizing the acquisition of comprehension, production, and interactional skills using basic grammatical features. ASL will be taught within contexts and related to general surroundings and everyday life experiences. The course also provides a historical overview of American Sign Language and an introduction to deaf culture and folklore. Videos, films, readings and non-verbal feedback exercises will be a part of the instruction using tools. (Fall/Summer)

Note: If course permission is needed, email Dr. Laila M. Shishineh (lailams@umbc.edu).

This class will meet asynchronously online on Tuesdays and in person on Thursdays.

In order to move into ASL 102 to meet the language requirement, this course must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher.

Section: 01-LEC (5991)
Lecture: TuTh 2:30 – 3:45 p.m. | Web
Instruction Mode: Online
Meeting Dates: 01/29/2024 – 05/14/2024
Instructor: Daniel Frame

American Sign Language 101 is designed for students who have little or no previous knowledge of ASL. The course emphasizes simple receptive and expressive conversational skills and the unique features of American Sign Language grammar. Readiness for learning will be approached via visual-gestural communication techniques, visual discrimination, and visual memory exercises, emphasizing the acquisition of comprehension, production, and interactional skills using basic grammatical features. ASL will be taught within contexts and related to general surroundings and everyday life experiences. The course also provides a historical overview of American Sign Language and an introduction to deaf culture and folklore. Videos, films, readings and non-verbal feedback exercises will be a part of the instruction using tools. (Fall/Summer)

Note: If course permission is needed, email Dr. Laila M. Shishineh (lailams@umbc.edu).

This class will meet asynchronously online on Tuesdays and in person on Thursdays.

In order to move into ASL 102 to meet the language requirement, this course must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher.

Section: 01-LEC (6704)
Lecture: MoWe 4 – 5:15 p.m. | Web
Instruction Mode: Online
Meeting Dates: 01/29/2024 – 05/14/2024
Instructor: Maher Eshgi

American Sign Language 101 is designed for students who have little or no previous knowledge of ASL. The course emphasizes simple receptive and expressive conversational skills and the unique features of American Sign Language grammar. Readiness for learning will be approached via visual-gestural communication techniques, visual discrimination, and visual memory exercises, emphasizing the acquisition of comprehension, production, and interactional skills using basic grammatical features. ASL will be taught within contexts and related to general surroundings and everyday life experiences. The course also provides a historical overview of American Sign Language and an introduction to deaf culture and folklore. Videos, films, readings and non-verbal feedback exercises will be a part of the instruction using tools. (Fall/Summer)

Note: If course permission is needed, email Dr. Laila M. Shishineh (lailams@umbc.edu).

This class will meet asynchronously online on Tuesdays and in person on Thursdays.

In order to move into ASL 102 to meet the language requirement, this course must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher.

Section: 01-LEC (6705)
Lecture: TuTh 10 – 11:15 p.m. | Web
Instruction Mode: Online
Meeting Dates: 01/29/2024 – 05/14/2024
Instructor: Sagar Kothari

American Sign Language 101 is designed for students who have little or no previous knowledge of ASL. The course emphasizes simple receptive and expressive conversational skills and the unique features of American Sign Language grammar. Readiness for learning will be approached via visual-gestural communication techniques, visual discrimination, and visual memory exercises, emphasizing the acquisition of comprehension, production, and interactional skills using basic grammatical features. ASL will be taught within contexts and related to general surroundings and everyday life experiences. The course also provides a historical overview of American Sign Language and an introduction to deaf culture and folklore. Videos, films, readings and non-verbal feedback exercises will be a part of the instruction using tools. (Fall/Summer)

Note: If course permission is needed, email Dr. Laila M. Shishineh (lailams@umbc.edu).

This class will meet asynchronously online on Tuesdays and in person on Thursdays.

In order to move into ASL 102 to meet the language requirement, this course must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher.

ASL 102

Section: 01-LEC (5993)
Lecture: MoWe 6 – 9:10 p.m. | Web
Instruction Mode: Online
Meeting Dates: 01/29/2024 – 05/14/2024
Instructor: Debra Wolff

American Sign Language 102 is designed to build on ASL 101 providing for a higher level of receptive and conversational practice and will introduce several “uninterpreted” activities. Learning goals will focus on the development of American Sign Language (ASL) skills with a primary focus on refining the use of basic ASL sentence types. Pronominalization, classifiers, spatial referencing, pluralization, and temporal and distributional aspects are introduced. Students will learn routine communicative functions of the language: asking, requesting, providing clarification, giving and asking for directions. Information about the Deaf Community and Deaf Culture will be included.

Prerequisite: ASL 101 with a grade of ‘C’ or better.

Note: If permission to enroll in this is needed, email Dr. Laila M. Shishineh (lailams@umbc.edu). New students enrolling in ASL102 must provide documentation that they have completed a course equivalent to ASL 101 from another college or university or that they studied ASL for two years in high school. This can be verified by providing UMBC with a transcript from the relevant college or high school. Please email this documentation to Dr. Laila M. Shishineh at the email listed above.

A continuation of ASL 101. The course will provide a higher level of receptive and conversational practice and will introduce several “uninterpreted” activities. Lectures will develop further aspects of deaf culture, non-American Sign systems and other communication systems by members of the deaf community.

Section: 01-LEC (5994)
Lecture: TuTh 4 – 5:15 p.m. | Web
Instruction Mode: Online
Meeting Dates: 01/29/2024 – 05/14/2024
Instructor: Daniel Frame

American Sign Language 102 is designed to build on ASL 101 providing for a higher level of receptive and conversational practice and will introduce several “uninterpreted” activities. Learning goals will focus on the development of American Sign Language (ASL) skills with a primary focus on refining the use of basic ASL sentence types. Pronominalization, classifiers, spatial referencing, pluralization, and temporal and distributional aspects are introduced. Students will learn routine communicative functions of the language: asking, requesting, providing clarification, giving and asking for directions. Information about the Deaf Community and Deaf Culture will be included.

Prerequisite: ASL 101 with a grade of ‘C’ or better.

Note: If permission to enroll in this is needed, email Dr. Laila M. Shishineh (lailams@umbc.edu). New students enrolling in ASL102 must provide documentation that they have completed a course equivalent to ASL 101 from another college or university or that they studied ASL for two years in high school. This can be verified by providing UMBC with a transcript from the relevant college or high school. Please email this documentation to Dr. Laila M. Shishineh at the email listed above.

A continuation of ASL 101. The course will provide a higher level of receptive and conversational practice and will introduce several “uninterpreted” activities. Lectures will develop further aspects of deaf culture, non-American Sign systems and other communication systems by members of the deaf community.

Section: 01-LEC (6707)
Lecture: MoWe 5:30 – 6:45 p.m. | Web
Instruction Mode: Online
Meeting Dates: 01/29/2024 – 05/14/2024
Instructor: Maher Eshgi

American Sign Language 102 is designed to build on ASL 101 providing for a higher level of receptive and conversational practice and will introduce several “uninterpreted” activities. Learning goals will focus on the development of American Sign Language (ASL) skills with a primary focus on refining the use of basic ASL sentence types. Pronominalization, classifiers, spatial referencing, pluralization, and temporal and distributional aspects are introduced. Students will learn routine communicative functions of the language: asking, requesting, providing clarification, giving and asking for directions. Information about the Deaf Community and Deaf Culture will be included.

Prerequisite: ASL 101 with a grade of ‘C’ or better.

Note: If permission to enroll in this is needed, email Dr. Laila M. Shishineh (lailams@umbc.edu). New students enrolling in ASL102 must provide documentation that they have completed a course equivalent to ASL 101 from another college or university or that they studied ASL for two years in high school. This can be verified by providing UMBC with a transcript from the relevant college or high school. Please email this documentation to Dr. Laila M. Shishineh at the email listed above.

A continuation of ASL 101. The course will provide a higher level of receptive and conversational practice and will introduce several “uninterpreted” activities. Lectures will develop further aspects of deaf culture, non-American Sign systems and other communication systems by members of the deaf community.

Section: 01-LEC (6708)
Lecture: TuTh 11:30 – 12:45 p.m. | Web
Instruction Mode: Online
Meeting Dates: 01/29/2024 – 05/14/2024
Instructor: Sagar Kothari

American Sign Language 102 is designed to build on ASL 101 providing for a higher level of receptive and conversational practice and will introduce several “uninterpreted” activities. Learning goals will focus on the development of American Sign Language (ASL) skills with a primary focus on refining the use of basic ASL sentence types. Pronominalization, classifiers, spatial referencing, pluralization, and temporal and distributional aspects are introduced. Students will learn routine communicative functions of the language: asking, requesting, providing clarification, giving and asking for directions. Information about the Deaf Community and Deaf Culture will be included.

Prerequisite: ASL 101 with a grade of ‘C’ or better.

Note: If permission to enroll in this is needed, email Dr. Laila M. Shishineh (lailams@umbc.edu). New students enrolling in ASL102 must provide documentation that they have completed a course equivalent to ASL 101 from another college or university or that they studied ASL for two years in high school. This can be verified by providing UMBC with a transcript from the relevant college or high school. Please email this documentation to Dr. Laila M. Shishineh at the email listed above.

A continuation of ASL 101. The course will provide a higher level of receptive and conversational practice and will introduce several “uninterpreted” activities. Lectures will develop further aspects of deaf culture, non-American Sign systems and other communication systems by members of the deaf community.

ASL 201

Section: 01-LEC (5995)
Lecture: TuTh 5:30 – 6:45 p.m. | Web
Instruction Mode: Online
Meeting Dates: 01/29/2024 – 05/14/2024
Instructor: Debra Wolff

Prerequisite: Prerequisite: ASL 102 with a grade of ‘C’ or better.

American Sign Language 201 is designed to build on ASL 102 in order to further develop the receptive and expressive visual communication skills in ASL. This will include adding more complex ASL grammatical features and vocabulary, short stories, narratives, and dialogues. The course will include a description of general surroundings, appropriate sequencing, temporal aspects, and conditionals. The course will also focus on cultural aspects of the deaf community and will include discussions and formal signing presentations. (Fall/Summer)

Note: If permission to enroll in this course is needed, email Dr. Laila M. Shishineh (lailams@umbc.edu). New students enrolling in ASL201 must provide documentation that they have completed a course equivalent to ASL101 and ASL102 from another college or university or that they studied ASL for three years in high school. This can be verified by providing UMBC with a transcript from the relevant college or high school. Please email this documentation to Dr. Laila M. Shishineh at the email listed above.

A continuation of ASL102. This course will further develop the receptive and expressive visual communication skills in ASL. This will include adding more complex ASL grammatical features and vocabulary, short stories, narratives, and dialogues. The course will include a description of general surroundings, appropriate sequencing, temporal aspects, and conditionals. The course will also focus on cultural aspects of the deaf community and will include discussions and formal signing presentations.

Section: 01-LEC (6709)
Lecture: TuTh 7 – 8:15 p.m. | Web
Instruction Mode: Online
Meeting Dates: 01/29/2024 – 05/14/2024
Instructor: Daniel Frame

Prerequisite: Prerequisite: ASL 102 with a grade of ‘C’ or better.

American Sign Language 201 is designed to build on ASL 102 in order to further develop the receptive and expressive visual communication skills in ASL. This will include adding more complex ASL grammatical features and vocabulary, short stories, narratives, and dialogues. The course will include a description of general surroundings, appropriate sequencing, temporal aspects, and conditionals. The course will also focus on cultural aspects of the deaf community and will include discussions and formal signing presentations. (Fall/Summer)

Note: If permission to enroll in this course is needed, email Dr. Laila M. Shishineh (lailams@umbc.edu). New students enrolling in ASL201 must provide documentation that they have completed a course equivalent to ASL101 and ASL102 from another college or university or that they studied ASL for three years in high school. This can be verified by providing UMBC with a transcript from the relevant college or high school. Please email this documentation to Dr. Laila M. Shishineh at the email listed above.

A continuation of ASL102. This course will further develop the receptive and expressive visual communication skills in ASL. This will include adding more complex ASL grammatical features and vocabulary, short stories, narratives, and dialogues. The course will include a description of general surroundings, appropriate sequencing, temporal aspects, and conditionals. The course will also focus on cultural aspects of the deaf community and will include discussions and formal signing presentations.

Section: 01-LEC (6710)
Lecture: TuTh 1 – 2:15 p.m. | Web
Instruction Mode: Online
Meeting Dates: 01/29/2024 – 05/14/2024
Instructor: Sagar Kothari

Prerequisite: Prerequisite: ASL 102 with a grade of ‘C’ or better.

American Sign Language 201 is designed to build on ASL 102 in order to further develop the receptive and expressive visual communication skills in ASL. This will include adding more complex ASL grammatical features and vocabulary, short stories, narratives, and dialogues. The course will include a description of general surroundings, appropriate sequencing, temporal aspects, and conditionals. The course will also focus on cultural aspects of the deaf community and will include discussions and formal signing presentations. (Fall/Summer)

Note: If permission to enroll in this course is needed, email Dr. Laila M. Shishineh (lailams@umbc.edu). New students enrolling in ASL201 must provide documentation that they have completed a course equivalent to ASL101 and ASL102 from another college or university or that they studied ASL for three years in high school. This can be verified by providing UMBC with a transcript from the relevant college or high school. Please email this documentation to Dr. Laila M. Shishineh at the email listed above.

A continuation of ASL102. This course will further develop the receptive and expressive visual communication skills in ASL. This will include adding more complex ASL grammatical features and vocabulary, short stories, narratives, and dialogues. The course will include a description of general surroundings, appropriate sequencing, temporal aspects, and conditionals. The course will also focus on cultural aspects of the deaf community and will include discussions and formal signing presentations.

 

1/29/2024