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Sign Language Studies

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Folsom Lake College Sign Language Studies

Folsom Lake College's sign language studies curriculum offers courses designed to introduce students to American sign language. Students learn basic conversational skills to communicate with members of the deaf community. Moreover, students learn about deaf culture, such as cultural behaviors and values.

Sign language courses are transferable to UC and CSU. Students who are interested in pursuing the interpreting field would be able to transfer to American River College’s Interpreter Preparation Program.

Division Dean Francis Fletcher
Department Chair Michelle Lennert
Meta-Major Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Phone (916) 608-6752
Email fletchf@flc.losrios.edu

Sign Language Studies (SILA) Courses

SILA 305 American Sign Language 1

Units:4
Hours:72 hours LEC
Prerequisite:None.
Transferable:CSU; UC
General Education:AA/AS Area I; IGETC Area 6
Catalog Date:January 1, 2025

This is a beginning course in a series of four courses in American Sign Language, ASL. ASL employs the visual language, which Deaf Americans and Deaf Canadians use. The instructional activities are based on immersion approach, which the learners develop the language competency to communicate with ASL users. This course is designed for students who have limited or no exposure to ASL. Moreover, the engagement of audism-free environment will be fostered in the classroom. Students may be required to attend to local deaf event(s).

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

generate simple syntactic responses in both modes: receptive and expressive competencies of targeted lexical, syntactical and narrative constructs of American Sign Language.
explain the facets of American Deaf community.
formulate appropriate communicative engagements based on cultural interaction and audism-free practices.

SILA 306 American Sign Language 2

Units:4
Hours:72 hours LEC
Prerequisite:SILA 305 with a grade of "C" or better
Advisory:ENGRD 310 with a grade of "C" or better
Transferable:CSU; UC
General Education:AA/AS Area I; IGETC Area 6
Catalog Date:January 1, 2025

SILA 306 is second course in a series of four courses in American Sign Language, ASL, which is designed for students who have completed SILA 305. The study in this course continues on vocabulary, syntactic structures, conversational skills and narrative skills. In addition to these, the learners’ language monitoring skills will be improved with accuracy. The learners will learn on how to engage in discussions with peers. Moreover, the application of audism-free environment will be engaged to foster the cultural understanding and respect of Deaf people. Students may be required to attend local deaf event(s). SILA 306 is a former course name of DEAF 312.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

formulate complex dialogs receptively and expressively of targeted situational lexical items based on daily life activities.
compose narrations utilizing basic role shifting, mannerism and targeted syntactical items.
construct appropriate communicative responses in imitating, conducting, and terminating dialogs.
demonstrate audism-free social customs and cultural interactions within the Deaf communities.

SILA 315 American Sign Language 3

Units:4
Hours:72 hours LEC
Prerequisite:SILA 306 with a grade of "C" or better
Transferable:CSU; UC
General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C2; IGETC Area 6
Catalog Date:January 1, 2025

This course is third level of ASL courses. This course is designed for students who have completed SILA 306 or two years of high school ASL study. It emphasizes expressive and receptive visual language acquisition. It provides an understanding of deaf cultural processes by identifying behaviors and norms from activities assigned in the class. It also includes dialogs that involve asking, empathizing, negotiating and agreeing or disagreeing. Moreover, this course covers the language and cultural relationship to onomatopoeia. The deaf perspectives of U.S. and Canada history will be examined. Audism-free will be emphasized to appreciate and respect the struggles of Deaf people in its relationship to White Western colonialism.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

assess appropriate pragmatic responses receptively and expressively.
generate appropriate narrative construction with role shifting, spatial structuring, sequencing events and establishing time references.
evaluate the functions of social relationships within the framework of cross-cultural mediation.
adopt audism-free social customs and cultural interactions within the Deaf communities.

SILA 316 American Sign Language 4

Units:4
Hours:72 hours LEC
Prerequisite:SILA 315 with a grade of "C" or better
Transferable:CSU; UC
General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C2; IGETC Area 3B; IGETC Area 6
Catalog Date:January 1, 2025

The fourth course of the series explores in the domains of presentation, discussion, negotiation, and inquiry in the targeted language, ASL. The platform of this course is to strengthen the fluency in ASL receptively and expressively. In addition to these, the Deafhood theory, social norms and history will be explored.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

evaluate the ideas, facts and processes receptively and expressively in the domains of everyday interaction.
design presentations informally and formally with complex ideas such as health conditions, facts, major life decisions, politics, current events and money.
produce translations from ASL to written text.
demonstrate spontaneous language-responsive behaviors in order to connect and maintain conversations with the Deaf community.

SILA 495 Independent Studies in Sign Language Studies

Units:1 - 3
Hours:54 - 162 hours LAB
Prerequisite:None.
Transferable:CSU
Catalog Date:January 1, 2025

SILA 499 Experimental Offering in Sign Language Studies

Units:0.5 - 4
Prerequisite:None.
Transferable:CSU
Catalog Date:January 1, 2025

This is the experimental courses description.

Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

This program is part of the Liberal Arts and Social Sciences meta-major.

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Sign Language Studies

Overview

Career Options

Highlights

Sign Language Studies (SILA) Courses

SILA 305 American Sign Language 1

Student Learning Outcomes

SILA 306 American Sign Language 2

Student Learning Outcomes

SILA 315 American Sign Language 3

Student Learning Outcomes

SILA 316 American Sign Language 4

Student Learning Outcomes

SILA 495 Independent Studies in Sign Language Studies

SILA 499 Experimental Offering in Sign Language Studies

Faculty

Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

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