Instructor
Dr. David P Corina
What is course about?
This course is appropriate for students who have wondered how constructs used
in the study of spoken languages can (or cannot be) be applied to naturally occurring languages of Deaf
Communities. We will discuss questions like:
What are signed languages and how did they develop?
What is meant by the term “Deaf Community”? What is deafness?
Does ASL have phonemes, morphemes, syllables, and syntax?
How are these components of language structure represented by ASL linguists?
Are there dialects in signed languages?
How does the brain process a signed language?
Is it similar or different from the way the brain processes spoken language?
Through this class you will
begin to understand how linguists and linguistic theories have been applied to signed language like ASL.
gain a better understanding of the social and educational impacts of congenital deafness.
Prerequisites
This class is not a 2nd language pedagogy class. There is no “ASL 1, An Introduction to ASL for beginners.” While you will learn a few signs, this is not the primary goal of this class. You do not need prior knowledge of ASL (or some other signed language) to take this class but having taken a signed language class will be beneficial. Even fluent signers will gain new insights into the structure of signed languages. The class is taught seminar style, with a mixture of lectures, small group exercises & presentations, homework, readings, homework and Module Assessments.