10/31/2025 2:39:38 AM	ASL 136 Course Outline as of Fall 2007	New Course (First Version)
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  ASL 136	Title:  SOCIOLINGUISTICS OF DEAF
Full Title:  Sociolinguistics of Deaf Communities
Last Reviewed:4/2/2007

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	4.00	Lecture Scheduled	4.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	70.00
Minimum	4.00	Lab Scheduled	0		17.5 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	4.00			Contact Total	70.00
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  140.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 210.00

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly: 

Catalog Description:

This course provides a theoretical foundation and a broad range of practical exercises and activities that explore the various dimensions of the sociolinguistics of Deaf communities. It is designed to guide aspiring and practicing interpreters toward a clear understanding of the sociolinguistic factors affecting Deaf communities and sign languages.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:
Course Completion of ASL 132

Recommended Preparation:

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

This course provides a theoretical foundation and a broad range of practical exercises and activities that explore the various dimensions of the sociolinguistics of Deaf communities. It is designed to guide aspiring and practicing interpreters toward a clear understanding of the sociolinguistic factors affecting Deaf communities and sign languages.

(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:Course Completion of ASL 132
Recommended:
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:		Inactive:
Area:
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
CSU Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
UC Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Both Certificate and Major Applicable

COURSE CONTENT

Outcomes and Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1.  Describe the factors affecting the language and culture of Deaf

   communities in relationship to the larger, hearing communities that

   surround them.

2.  Evaluate and describe the linguistic implications of social systems

   specific to Deaf people such as Deaf Education.

3.  Analyze the interpreter's linguistic responsibility and discuss and

   describe a range of case studies demonstrating this responsibility in

   terms of handling stylistic variation in both English and ASL.

4.  Investigate cultural diversity and linguistic variation

   (ethnicity, gender, education, socioeconomics, etc.) through

   discussion and analysis of cases specifically reflecting interpreting

   work.

5.  Demonstrate familiarity with features of sign language

   discourse and analyze ASL discourse through video clips, video-logs

   and signed resources on the Internet.

6.  Serve as cultural and linguistic mediators through introspective

   journaling, networking with the Deaf communities.

7.  Identify the systematic linguistic oppression of Deaf people by

   hearing people or hearing attitudes in the wider context of

   oppression of cultural and linguistic minorities.

Topics and Scope

I.    Factors affecting the language and culture of Deaf communities

     A. The historical relationship of Deaf communities to the larger,

        hearing communities that surround them

     B. Sociolinguistic factors that impact sign language and Deaf

        communities.

II.   Elements of a "tool box" for linguistic analysis

     A. Personal, societal, cultural and linguistic norms, behaviors

        and values.

     B. Linguistic implications of language policies in institutions such

        as Deaf residential schools, public schools, and universities.

     C. Settings and situations where the exploration of cultural and

        linguistic differences is beneficial, e.g. workplaces,

        classrooms, business environments, medical situations,

        performance arts, conflict management situations and other

        contexts

     D. Lexical choices and linguistic/cultural decisions that have an

        impact on translating or interpreting from ASL to English and

        vice versa

III.  The interpreter's role

     A. The interpreter as a linguistic and cultural mediator

     B. Interpreter as advocate

IV.   Professionalization in the field

     A. A principle-centered approach for solving personal and

        professional problems created by issues of cultural diversity

        and linguistic variation

     B. How to live with fairness, respect, open-mindedness, and human

        dignity as essential principles for professional, working

        interpreters

     C. The concept and meaning of professional boundaries and the

        application of appropriate boundaries cross-linguistically as

        well as cross-culturally

V.    Foundation for future ASL and English discourse analyses

     A. Features of sign language and spoken language discourse

     B. How to analyze ASL discourse through video clips, video-logs, and

        signed resources on the Internet

     C. How to analyze written and spoken English discourse

VI.   Analyzing and resolving cultural and linguistic dilemmas

     A. Exploring and developing practical guidelines for a mindful

        approach to analyzing and resolving cultural and linguistic

        dilemmas

     B. Applying practical tools for developing awareness and resolving

        dilemmas associated with working outside an individual's own

        culture and language

VII.  Audism

     A. How an interpreter's experience of being able to hear has a

        profound impact on his/her cultural and linguistic experience

     B. How interpreters unknowingly contribute to inadvertent

        oppression through personal attitudes towards the language and

        culture of others

Assignments:

1.  Reading 15-20 pages of textbook--involves in-depth analysis of one

   major topic or case study plus one supplementary article (5-15 pages)

   per class with accompanying essay questions for each class with

   follow-up written homework.

2.  Development and presentation of two-three in-class presentations on

   individual topics taken from a variety of articles and the class

   textbook.

3.  Preparation for in-class discussions on various topics in the course.

4.  Application of self-assessment tools in class discussions through

   homework and written assignments to encourage self-reflection in the

   interpreting process.

5.  Analyze and discuss video clips and texts of signed and spoken

   languages by translation work both at home and in class.

6.  Two to three written exams on presented materials and readings,

   including a mid-term and final.

7.  Other homework activities and research projects including interpreter

   interviews, journal writing and internet research.

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 15 - 20%
Written reports, journals, essays and short papers
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 20 - 25%
Case studies, presentations, self assessment tools
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 20 - 25%
Presentations, analyzing videos clips and texts
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 25 - 30%
Written exams
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 5 - 15%
Class participation

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

Students will purchase one textbook and read excerpts from an

assortment of articles.

Textbook:

Lucas, C., R. Bayley, C. Valli, M. rose, and A. Wulf, 2001. THE

  SOCIOLINGUISTICS OF SIGN LANGUAGES, ed. C. Lucas, New York: Cambridge

  University Press.

Articles:

Metzger, Melanie. 1995. CONSTRUCTED DIALOGUE, CONSTRUCTED ACTION IN ASL.

  SOCIOLINGUISTICS IN DEAF COMMUNITIES, ed by, Ceil Lucas. 255-271.

  Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet University Press.

Croneberg,C. 1965. THE LINGUISTIC COMMUNITY; SIGN LANGUAGE DIALECTS.

  In W. Stokoe, D. Casterline, and C. Cronebers (eds.) A DICTIONARY

  OF AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE. Silver Spring, MD: Linstok Press. 297-319.

Patrick, P. and M. Metzger. 1996. Sociolinguistic factors in sign language

  research. In J. Arnold et al (eds.), SOCIOLINGUISTIC VARIATION; DATA,

  THEORY, AND ANALYSIS. SELECTED PAPERS FROM NWAV 23 AT STANFORD.

  Stanford University: Center for the Study of Language and Information.

  229-240.

Schilling-Estes, N. 2002.  INVESTIGATING STYLISTIC VARIATION, In J.K.

  Chambers et al. (eds.), op. cit. 375-401.

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