Students beginning in the program should enroll in ASL110. Any students with previous coursework or significant fluency in ASL who wish to enroll in a more advanced course can complete the proficiency assessment to determine an appropriate placement. Placement assessments are currently scheduled on a rolling basis.

Students who have studied previously in Yale ASL courses who wish to place in a specific level can contact the program coordinator julia.silvestri@yale.edu for an informal interview and individualized plan.

The formal proficiency assessment includes an online receptive quiz administered through Canvas, expressive narrative video submitted through Canvas, and communication proficiency interview. Contact program coordinator julia.silvestri@yale.edu to access the assessment site and schedule the interview.

• The receptive quiz can be found under the placement tool module of the Canvas course. Students will watch signed videos and create written translations.
• The expressive video assignment can be found under the placement tool module of the Canvas course. Students will be asked to translate phrases into ASL and create a narrative story about a personal experience. The videos should be uploaded or created using a media recording.
• To complete the communication proficiency interview students should contact program coordinator julia.silvestri@yale.edu to schedule an interview with one of the ASL lectors.

Students will be informed within a week about their proficiency rating and approved placement through the Canvas site “ASL Placement Test 23-24”.

Additional materials, such as course descriptions, curriculum scope and sequence, and course syllabi can be found under the courses page.

PLACEMENT CRITERIA

Students enrolled in ASL 120 should be able to: 

• Introduce self, giving relevant information about background and interests
• Exchange greetings and participate in extended conversations of 5+ exchanges.
• Describe people and simple objects
• Give and follow simple directions
• Describe a daily routine using sequencing vocabulary and transitions
• Develop and share simple narratives with a clear beginning, middle, and ending
• Identify and describe 3+ elements of ASL literature and Deaf culture
• Create simple poems using rhythm and rhyme

Students enrolled in ASL 130 should be able to: 

• Describe people and places using classifiers and descriptive vocabulary
• Compare people, objects, and places using contrastive structure
• Create phrases using topicalization and spatial agreement
• Give multi-step directions using spatialization and descriptive vocabulary
• Give opinions and make requests
• Develop and share narratives with a clear structure and descriptive detail
• Translate several phrases between ASL and English
• Articulate role as a student within the ASL community
• Identify and describe 3+ elements of ASL literature

Students enrolled in ASL 140 should be able to: 

• Translate simple compositions between ASL and English
• Create and understand phrases using varied verb tense
• Express concerns and make suggestions
• Exchange personal information about life events
• Use temporal sequencing to describe plans and activities
• Use descriptive classifiers for shapes, patterns, and textures
• Translate and create poetic verses using rhythm, rhyme, and imagery
• Understand and create simple stories using Visual Vernacular

Students enrolled in ASL 150 courses should be able to: 

• Adjust signing register to accommodate a variety of audiences and purposes
• Identify and use ASL transcription symbols when discussing and translating
• Describe Deaf literary traditions and modern social movements
• Understand and create extended stories using Visual Vernacular