ASL 220 - Comparative Linguistics: ASL and English (3 CR.)

Prerequisite(s): ASL 102. Describes spoken English and ASL (American Sign Language) 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 English and ASL. Introduces basic theories regarding ASL structure. Emphasizes ASL’s status as a natural language by comparing and contrasting similarities and unique differences between the two languages. Lecture 3 hours per week.