# American Sign Language (ASL) courses

Butte College · 2026-2027 Catalog · 5 courses

Source: https://butte.curriqunet.com/catalog/iq/25393/28400/27938

"Offered" lists sections in this catalog year's class schedules: Fall 2026, Winter 2027, Spring 2027.

### ASL 1 — American Sign Language I

- **Units:** 4
- **Hours:** 68 hours lecture
- **Transfers to:** CSU, UC
- **Offered:** Fall 2026, 5 sections (/c/butte-college/schedule/fall-2026/asl.md); Spring 2027, 6 sections (/c/butte-college/schedule/spring-2027/asl.md)

This course is the first of a two part introductory course in American Sign Language (ASL) as it is used within Deaf culture. Topics include basic linguistic structures, facial grammar and fingerspelling as it is used at the novice level. Emphasis is placed on the development of ASL and receptive skills. Students who have completed at least one year of high school ASL with a letter grade of "A" or "B" within one year of the present date, may upon approval of instructor, register for ASL II.

### ASL 2 — American Sign Language II

- **Units:** 4
- **Hours:** 68 hours lecture
- **Prerequisite:** ASL 1
- **Transfers to:** CSU, UC
- **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/butte-college/schedule/fall-2026/asl.md)

This course is the second half of a two part introductory course in American Sign Language (ASL) as it is used within the Deaf culture. ASL 2 continues to develop the student's use of appropriate linguistics and cultural principles of ASL. Instruction will further student’s language development by emphasizing receptive and expressive skills. Intermediate vocabulary, grammar, non-manual behaviors and fingerspelling will be taught.

### ASL 3 — American Sign Language III

- **Units:** 4
- **Hours:** 68 hours lecture
- **Prerequisite:** ASL 2
- **Transfers to:** CSU, UC
- **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026, Winter 2027, Spring 2027 schedules

This course is an intermediate American Sign Language (ASL) which further develops receptive and expressive skills, teaches appropriate linguistic features and gives further exposure to Deaf Culture. This course utilizes a practice oriented approach to language acquisition with demonstration of more advanced grammatical features of ASL including conditional and contrastive structure sentence types, recurring and continuous time signs, temporal aspect and narrative structure. Students' fluency and accuracy in fingerspelling and numbers will increase.

### ASL 4 — American Sign Language IV

- **Units:** 4
- **Hours:** 68 hours lecture
- **Prerequisite:** ASL 3
- **Transfers to:** CSU, UC
- **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026, Winter 2027, Spring 2027 schedules

American Sign Language (ASL) further develops receptive and expressive skills with an emphasis on ASL narratives and active communication in ASL. It continues to use the functional-notation approach in learning grammar and context. This course also expands on major linguistic and grammatical features, including restructuring space, rephrasing register; and cultural features, including cultural diversity in the Deaf world, Deaf storytellers, and various social services and programs. The student will continue an in-depth study of the global Deaf community and culture through short stories, narratives and interactive use of ASL.

### ASL 10 — Introduction to American Deaf Culture

- **Units:** 3
- **Hours:** 51 hours lecture
- **Transfers to:** CSU, UC
- **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026, Winter 2027, Spring 2027 schedules

This course is an introduction to the American Deaf Culture and Deafhood. Emphasis will be placed on the history, community, and the language used within the American Deaf culture: American Sign Language. The values, traditions and diversity in American Deaf Culture will be explored as a linguistic and cultural minority through the dynamics between oppressed/oppressor peoples, past and current trends in deaf education, services for the deaf, legislation, and technology. Group identity and group liberation will be discussed. Taught in American Sign Language with an ASL/English interpreter.