Sign Language & Interpreting (SIGN)

SIGN 101  American Sign Language 1

4 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)
Lecture: 72   

A beginning course about the fundamentals of American Sign Language. Topics include, conversational methods, vocabulary related to exchanging personal information, hobbies, activities, family relationships, providing directions, basic grammar, syntax, fingerspelling, numbers 1 -100, and an introduction to Deaf culture and history.

Course Schedule

SIGN 101H  American Sign Language 1 - Honors

4 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)
Lecture: 72   
Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Honors Program

A beginning course about the fundamentals of American Sign Language. Topics include, conversational methods, vocabulary related to exchanging personal information, hobbies, activities, family relationships, providing directions, basic grammar, syntax, fingerspelling, numbers 1–100, and an introduction to Deaf culture and history. An honors course designed to provide an enriched experience. Students may not receive credit for both SIGN 101 and SIGN 101H.

Course Schedule

SIGN 102  American Sign Language 2

4 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)
Lecture: 72   
Prerequisite: SIGN 101 or SIGN 101H

Further study of American Sign Language (ASL) focusing on comprehension skills, grammatical structures and practice in the expressive aspects of the language, as well as exposure to Deaf culture. Students are expected to attend outside events at their own expense.

Course Schedule

SIGN 103  American Sign Language 3

4 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)
Lecture: 72   
Prerequisite: SIGN 102

American Sign Language 3 (ASL III) focuses on developing intermediate comprehension skills as well as conversation skills using in everyday discussions and grammatical structures with continued emphasis on expressive skills in narrative. Aspects of Deaf culture will be studied and discussed. Students are required to attend two out-of-class observations.

Course Schedule

SIGN 104  American Sign Language 4

4 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)
Lecture: 72   
Prerequisite: SIGN 103

Intermediate to advanced expressive and conversational skills in American Sign Language 4 (ASL IV) along with continued focus on grammatical and cultural features. Students are required to attend two out-of-class observations.

Course Schedule

SIGN 105  American Sign Language 5

4 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU)
Lecture: 72   
Prerequisite: SIGN 104

Advanced American Sign Language (ASL) communication skills with emphasis on signing descriptive narratives and strengthening conversational skills. Target language practice includes holding discussions and making major decisions and health issues with substantial use of classifiers. Further exposure to Deaf cultural components.

Course Schedule

SIGN 108  Fingerspelling

2 Units (Degree Applicable)
(May be taken for Pass/No Pass only)
Lecture: 36   
Prerequisite: SIGN 102

Receptive and expressive fingerspelling.

Course Schedule

SIGN 201  Introduction to Deaf Studies

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU)
Lecture: 54   

Topics central to the Deaf community including deaf education, Deaf and hearing relationships, and Deaf history. Topics include early intervention and education of deaf children, communication strategies and their effectiveness, anatomy and causes of deafness, and Deaf people as a cultural group. Gives a holistic perspective of Deaf people applicable to further studies in Deaf culture and community.

Course Schedule

SIGN 202  Cultures in the Deaf Community

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)
Lecture: 54   

This course introduces various Deaf cultures within America. Topics include: the description of deafness, Deaf people, the deaf community as defined by audiological and/or cultural means, cultural norms, values, institutions, services for and by Deaf people and culture as reflected in the arts and language of Deaf people. Students will be given an opportunity to study and understand minority group dynamics, attitudes, and behavior characteristics of the oppressed and oppressor people and the liberation movements.

Course Schedule

SIGN 210  American Sign Language Structure

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)
Lecture: 54   
Prerequisite: SIGN 103

Linguistic structure of American Sign Language, including phonology, morphology and syntax. Sociolinguistic issues will also be discussed.

Course Schedule

SIGN 220  Translation: American Sign Language and English

4 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU)
Lecture: 72   
Prerequisite: SIGN 104
Corequisite: SIGN 210 (May have been taken previously)

American Sign Language (ASL) and English translation by comparing texts and manual narrative in both languages.

Course Schedule

SIGN 223  Principles of Interpreting

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU)
Lecture: 54   
Prerequisite: SIGN 103 and Eligibility for ENGL 1A

Aspects of interpreting theory and process including the history of sign language interpreting. Examines the interpreter's role and ethical standards.

Course Schedule

SIGN 225  Ethical Decision Making for Interpreters

2 Units (Degree Applicable)
Lecture: 36   
Prerequisite: SIGN 223 and SIGN 231

Development of ethical decision-making skills through the analytical construct of the Demand/Control Schema (DC-S) for interpreting work. Includes professional work effectiveness and professional wellness.

Course Schedule

SIGN 227  Cognitive Processing for Interpreters

4 Units (Degree Applicable)
(May be taken for option of letter grade or Pass/No Pass)
Lecture: 54   Lab: 54
Prerequisite: ENGL 1A and SIGN 104
Corequisite: SIGN 223 (May have been taken previously)

Development of cognitive processing skills necessary for interpreting between American Sign Language (ASL) and English. Constructing and deconstructing meaning, memory, listening, and attending will be covered. Includes memory building, restating, cloze, and listening exercises.

Course Schedule

SIGN 231  Interpreting

4 Units (Degree Applicable)
(May be taken for option of letter grade or Pass/No Pass)
Lecture: 54   Lab: 54
Prerequisite: SIGN 227 and SPCH 1A

Skill development in consecutive interpreting from American Sign Language (ASL) to English and English to ASL. Processing skills and task management will be emphasized.

Course Schedule

SIGN 232  Advanced Interpreting

4 Units (Degree Applicable)
(May be taken for option of letter grade or Pass/No Pass)
Lecture: 54   Lab: 54
Prerequisite: SIGN 231

Refines interpreting skills with emphasis on simultaneous interpreting. Intensive skill development in interpreting from English to American Sign Language (ASL) and ASL to English.

Course Schedule

SIGN 239  Applied Interpreting

2 Units (Degree Applicable)
(May be taken for Pass/No Pass only)
Lecture: 36   
Prerequisite: SIGN 232

Capstone class to the interpreter training program. Course emphasizes application of knowledge and skills developed. Students will develop a direct connection to the field of interpreting and explore continuing education opportunities. Students are required to complete 40 hours of out-of-class interpreting and participation in out-of-class interpreting continuing education.

Course Schedule

SIGN 240  Vocabulary Building for Interpreters

2 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU)
(May be taken for Pass/No Pass only)
Lecture: 36   
Prerequisite: SIGN 104

Vocabulary expansion in both ASL and English with the goal of improving interpretations between these two languages. The course will focus on context, semantics, and parts of speech in determining culturally appropriate vocabulary choices. Interpreting students will learn to apply their growing vocabularies to ASL-English interpretations.

Course Schedule

SIGN 250  Interpreting with Classifiers

1.5 Units (Degree Applicable)
(May be taken for Pass/No Pass only)
Lecture: 18   Lab: 27
Prerequisite: SIGN 104 and SIGN 210

An overview of the common forms of ASL classifier predicates. Developing skill in establishing figure/ground, visualization, and shifting perspectives. Applying classifier predicates within the context of interpreting from English into American Sign Language.

Course Schedule

SIGN 260  Video Interpreting

1.5 Units (Degree Applicable)
(May be taken for Pass/No Pass only)
Lecture: 18   Lab: 27
Prerequisite: SIGN 231

Video interpreting and skill development as a video interpreter. Includes video relay interpreting (VRS), video remote interpreting (VRI), technical components used in video interpreting, and ethical consideration of the video interpreter. Lab portion of the course will focus on skill development in video interpreting.

Course Schedule

SIGN 299  Special Projects in Sign Language/Interpreting

2 Units (Degree Applicable)
(May be taken for option of letter grade or Pass/No Pass)
Lecture: 36   

In order to offer students the opportunity to explore their disciplines to greater depth, the various departments from time to time offer Special Projects courses. The content of each course and the methods of study vary from semester to semester, and depend on the particular project under consideration. Students must have an instructor's authorization before enrolling in this class.

Course Schedule