This course describes spoken English and ASL (American Sign Language) on five levels: phonological, morphological, lexical, syntactic, and discourse. We will compare and contrast the two languages on all five levels using real-world examples. The course documents similarities between signed languages and spoken languages in general and describes the major linguistic components and processes of English and ASL. We will introduce basic theories regarding ASL structure and emphasizes ASL's status as a natural language by comparing and contrasting similarities and unique differences between the two languages.

Prerequisite: ASL 102 or permission of the instructor.

Upon successful completion of this course you should be able to:

• describe the difference between language and communication
• describe all the major linguistic components of a language giving an example from both ASL and English
• identify processes within each component giving examples from ASL and English
• describe the differences between the structure of ASL and English providing some examples
• describe how some ASL structures are unique to signed languages
• understand and produce various ASL grammatical patterns (word order and nms)
• describe previous notions of the structure of ASL and how those ideas have developed
• support or refute previous and current claims regarding ASL
• differentiate types of variation

The required textbook for this course is:

• Linguistics of American Sign Language, 4th Edition, Valli, Clayton and Lucas, Ceil and Mulrooney, Kristin, Gallaudet University Press, 2005

For information on how to order your textbooks, go to http://eli.nvcc.edu/books/

online from MBSDirect ( some textbooks are not available online)

Your course grade will be determined by the following exams and assignments:

Your final grade will be based on the following scale.

If you do not submit at least one assignment by your Last Withdrawal Date, you will be automatically withdrawn from the course with no refund. If you do not withdraw and do not finish your course assignments, you will receive a grade based upon the work you have submitted. Usually, this grade is an “F.”

If you are past your Last Withdrawal Date but have mitigating circumstances that prevent you from finishing the course, contact me in writing to request a "W" grade.

If you are making progress in your course, but your End of Enrollment date is near and extenuating circumstances prevent you from completing all of the course assignments, you may request a grade of Incomplete. To request a grade of Incomplete for this course, you must have satisfactorily completed all assignments up to Week 10.

If you are receiving financial aid, course withdrawal or a grade of “F” may impact your status. Please contact the Financial Aid office for further information.

There are 1 online exam in this course. You are expected to take your examinations at one of the NVCC campus Testing Centers. Be sure to allow enough time to complete your exam before the Testing Center closes; Testing Centers have specific policies relating to the administration of ELI exams. You will need to take a photo ID, your NovaConnect empl ID number, and the appropriate Exam Pass when you go to the Testing Center.  

For Testing Center locations, hours of operation and policies, click here.

For information on taking exams outside of the metropolitan area, click here.

I am here to help you succeed in this course. Occasionally questions or problems may arise. Here is how to contact me when they do:

E-mail: agoeke@nvcc.edu
Telephone : 703-323-2625
You may also call me to schedule a meeting in person, either at ELI or my campus office in Annandale.