Comparative Linguistics: ASL and English - ASL 220 at Virginia Highlands Community College
https://courses.vccs.edu/colleges/vhcc/courses/ASL220-ComparativeLinguisticsASLandEnglish
Effective: 2023-01-01
Course Description
Describes ASL (American Sign Language) and spoken English on five levels: phonological, morphological, lexical, syntactic, and discourse. Compares and contrasts the two languages on all five levels using real-world examples. Documents similarities between signed languages and spoken languages in general. Describes the major linguistic components and processes of ASL and English. Introduces basic theories regarding ASL structure. Emphasizes the status of ASL and English as natural languages by comparing and contrasting similarities and unique differences between the two languages.
Lecture 3 hours. Total 3 hours per week.
3 credits
The course outline below was developed as part of a statewide standardization process.
General Course Purpose
This course is designed to introduce intermediate-level ASL students to the similarities between signed language and spoken language in general by describing the major linguistic components and processes of ASL and English.
Course Prerequisites/Corequisites
Prerequisite: ASL 102
Course Objectives
- Critical Thinking
- Identify the basic characteristics of any language, spoken or signed
- Compare morphological, syntactical, pragmatic, and semantic aspects of ASL and English
- Demonstrate an understanding of socio-linguistic variations in ASL
- Communication
- Employ ASL and English to demonstrate linguistic features of each language
Major Topics to be Included
- Linguistics as a field of study (morphology, semantics, syntax, and pragmatics)
- Iconicity and depiction in ASL
- Grammatical structures of ASL and English
- Discourse elements in ASL and English
- ASL Linguistic glossing conventions