American Sign Language (ASL)
Until just a few years ago, Yale students could study ASL only through the DILS (Directed Independent Language Study) program; they could not get credit for such study nor use it to fulfill the language requirement. In Spring 2017, after students expressed strong interest in having ASL courses offered as part of the Yale College curriculum and faculty enthusiastically endorsed the idea, the administration granted permission and allocated resources to start a three-semester pilot program (January 2018—June 2019).
Given the high demand for ASL during the pilot program, Yale decided to continue the teaching of ASL in the academic year 2019-20 and beyond. If there is sustained demand and interest, as we expect, ASL will become a permanent part of the Yale College curriculum and the number of courses offered will increase to meet demand.
ASL Lectors
-
Kristen Guynes
Lector
Kristen Guynes is a full-time faculty instructor in the School of Communication Science and Disorders at Florida State University where she oversees all aspects of their American Sign Language program. Her professional background is rooted in Deaf education, holding certifications as an educational sign language interpreter, teacher of Deaf students, and ASL teacher. She received her PhD in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education from Texas Tech University in 2016 with a research focus on educational sign language interpreting. She currently serves as the Publications Director for the National Association of Interpreters in Education and is an author of the Professional Standards and Guidelines for Interpreters in Education (2019).
-
Casey Guynes
Lector
Casey, (sign name K-C), was born profoundly Deaf and is a bilingual user of ASL and English. He is originally a teacher of Deaf and hard of hearing students, but for the past five years, has been teaching American Sign Language (ASL) fully online for K-12 students. He has experience working at residential schools for the Deaf, public-school districts, and virtual learning. He recently joined the early intervention team at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind (FSDB) as both a Deaf Mentor and Parent Advisor. He is a doctoral candidate at Texas Tech University, focusing his research on virtual ASL education. In his free time, he enjoys everything related to the water such as boating, fishing, and scuba diving.
ASL Courses
ASL 110 1 American Sign Language 1
An introduction to American Sign Language (ASL), with emphasis on vocabulary, ASL grammar, Deaf Culture and Conversational skills. Use of visual material (DVD), communicative activities, grammar drills, classifiers and Deaf Culture study. ASL 120 is not required to earn credit for ASL 110
ASL 110 2 American Sign Language 1
An introduction to American Sign Language (ASL), with emphasis on vocabulary, ASL grammar, Deaf Culture and Conversational skills. Use of visual material (DVD), communicative activities, grammar drills, classifiers and Deaf Culture study. ASL 120 is not required to earn credit for ASL 110
ASL 130 American Sign Language III
This course is designed to advance students’ sign language skills towards conversational proficiency. Students will continue to develop expressive and receptive American Sign Language (ASL) skills towards an advanced level, participating in larger group conversations of varying topics. Students will increase their knowledge of ASL grammatical principles and Deaf culture. Students in this course shift from “learning to sign” to “signing to learn” by participating in larger group conversations of varying topics of personal and professional interest.
Prerequisites: ASL 120 or a placement evaluation by professor.
ASL FAQ
Who will teach the ASL courses this coming year (2020-21)?
During Fall 2020 Kristen Guynes will offer two sections of ASL 110, and Casey Guynes will be offering the ASL 130 course.
Are enrollments capped?
Enrollment in ASL 110 will be capped at 10. We will offer two sections of the course, though we recognize that student demand might be greater than the two sections can accommodate.
Enrollement in ASL 130 will be capped at 14. (If demand exceeds this number, we might consider raising the cap to 16.)
How will students be chosen for ASL 110 and 130?
Students should select ASL 110 or 130 through the Pre-registration system, between August 7th and August 12th. In addition, students applying for ASL 110 should fill out this survey. You will be informed about whether or not you have been accepted into each course by 5:00pm on August 17th.
Do ASL courses count toward fulfillment of the Foreign Language Requirement (FLR)?
Yes, they do. Please consult the academic regulations for information about the foreign language distributional requirement.