Deaf Studies
Deaf Studies
The ASL program at Oxnard College offers two pathways for students interested in learning ASL. Those planning to pursue a field working with the Deaf, such as ASL/English Interpretation or Deaf Education, may obtain an Associate in Arts degree in Deaf Studies. The A.A. degree prepares students to apply to Bachelor’s programs at the university level which require proficiency in ASL. For students interested in learning ASL as a means for interacting with Deaf people in their local community or place of work, a Certificate of Achievement is offered. All ASL courses are designed to equip students with the linguistic proficiency and cultural competency to interact and work with Deaf people and to instill a greater understanding of and appreciation for the Deaf community.
Students with little or no prior knowledge of American Sign Language will be introduced to the natural language and culture of the American Deaf Community. This course provides basic vocabulary and preparation for visual/gestural communication. Emphasis will be on comprehension skills and the fundamentals of ASL grammatical structures.
This second-semester level course in ASL builds on the language skills previously acquired with a focus on ASL grammar structures, non-manual features, time concepts, numbers, classifiers, narrative skills and more in-depth conversational functions. Additional instruction on Deaf culture, community and behavioral norms will be presented.
This course will continue the study of American Sign Language with expanded instruction in ASL grammar, vocabulary development, conversational skills, storytelling, and other ASL literary forms. Deafness, Deaf culture, and audism, as well as significant contributions of historical and modern-day figures within the Deaf community, will be further explored.
This course will build on previously acquired ASL communication skills and include study of more complex ASL grammatical features, vocabulary building in context, classifiers, narrative comprehension and development, and analysis and recitation of ASL literature. Class discussions will center on issues of current and historical significance to the Deaf community. Students will also apply the practical skills they've acquired throughout the program to act in support to the Deaf community in the form of a group capstone project.
This interdisciplinary course introduces a range of issues that are developed within Deaf Studies: ASL linguistics, Deaf education, sociology of Deaf culture, intersectionality and ASL interpreting. This class is conducted in ASL, therefore a minimum level of language proficiency is required.