Language

The Language Standards offer a focus for instruction each year on fostering students’ understanding and working knowledge of the structures of ASL, knowledge of language, and vocabulary acquisition and use. These standards are designed to foster student knowledge of standard ASL grammar, usage, and mechanics, and to facilitate their learning different ways to use language.

For instruction each year to help ensure students gain adequate mastery of a range of skills and applications, students advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year’s grade-level standards and retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in preceding grades.

Structures of Standard ASL

Students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate command of the structures of standard ASL grammar and usage when signing.
  2. Demonstrate command of the structures of standard ASL parameters and grammar.

Knowledge of Language

Students will be able to:

  1. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when signing or viewing.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

Students will be able to:

  1. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning signs and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful sign parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
  2. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, sign relationships, and nuances in sign meanings.
  3. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific signs, depiction, and phrases sufficient for viewing and signing at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering an unknown sign important to comprehension or expression.