I. General Information

1. Course Title:
American Sign Language Cultural Immersion Travel

2. Course Prefix & Number:
AMSL 1420

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 2

Lecture Hours: 2

4. Course Description:

Students in this course will participate in an American Sign Language/Deaf Culture immersion travel-study trip. The entire duration of the trip will be conducted in American Sign Language. Topics of study will derive from art, culture, history and geography of the area being visited. Classroom time prior to the trip will involve basic culture lessons and preparation for travel. Post-trip classroom meetings will emphasize reflection of travel experience and learning. MnTC Goals 2 and 8

5. Placement Tests Required:

Accuplacer (specify test):

Reading College Level CLC or Reading College Level

Score:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

7. Other Prerequisites
Instructor permission required to register.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

2. Transfer - regional institutions with which this course has a written articulation agreement:

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):

2. MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:

• Goal 1 – Written and Oral Communication
• Goal 8 – Global Perspective

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate oral communication skills	Expressively participate in small and large group discussions in ASL.
Demonstrate interpersonal communication skills	Demonstrate interpersonal communication skills by participating and conversing appropriately with Deaf community members in small group discussions.
Discuss/compare characteristics of diverse cultures and environments	Discuss/compare characteristics of diverse cultures and environments by listing five examples and relating them to specific experiences from the travel trip.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Demonstrate knowledge of cultural, social, and linguistic differences in the travel area when preparing presentaions and written assignments for the course (MCTC Goal 8);
• Analyze specific problems in the travel area illustrating the cultural, economic and policical differences that affect their solution (MNTC Goal 8);
• Describe and analyze the political, economic and cultural elements which influence Deaf culture in it's historical and contemporary context (MNTC Goal 8);
• Prepare a written essay using your personal point of view to evaluate a work of art in Deaf Culture (MNTC Goal 1);
• Demonstrate the speaking processes through presenting in the target language of ASL (MNTC Goal 1);
• Participate effectively in groups with emphasis on listening and responding (MNTC Goal 1);
• Select appropriate communication choices for specific audiences (MNTC Goal 1).

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

Pre-Trip

1. Geography
• Historically, how was ASL spread to this specific locality
• History of local area in relation to Deaf people and ASL
2. Political climate
• Politics and how they affect the local Deaf community/culture
• Access to interpreters
• Access to teachers
3. History and Culture
• Deaf Culture and influences of the local indiginous area on that culture
• Wars
• Majority language influence
• Adopted customs
4. Deaf Art
• Deaf Art indigenous to the specific area and influences of the majority culture reflected on that art
5. Multicultural awareness: How to navigate the cultural climate
• Local Deaf customs and traditions that may be different from American Deaf Culture
• Deaf community access and appropriate invitations to events
• Deaf community members and cultural 'bleedover' based on local influence
6. How to behave while traveling
• Cultural norms when communicating with both deaf and hearing people
• Signing in the presence of Deaf people
• Choosing when to sign and speak; appropriate deviations from cultural norms
• Asking for clarification in Deaf Culture and cultural sensitivity when interpreting
7. Travel logistics
• Money
• Packing
• Passports
• Airports
• Security checks
• Important papers
• In-flight behavior
• Hotels
• Transportation
8. Trip paperwork:
• Insurance
• Code of Conduct
• Permissions

During Trip

1. Applying concepts learned in-class to day-to-day activities in the area being visited
• Local landmarks, both historical and political
• Museums
• Symposiums
• Lectures
• Service learning / volunteerism
• Journal updates

Post-Trip

1. Individual reflections on travel trip. These reflections will be linked directly to fufilling the course outcomes.
• Group debriefing
• Sharing of "ah-ha" experiences and examples
• Journal review
• Written or oral presentation from an individual perspective

2. Laboratory/Studio Sessions