American Sign Language Summer Residency Program

Gallaudet University is canceling in-person summer programs due to COVID-19 Pandemic.

Summer classes will be moved online. You may sign up at Online ASL Courses

ASL Connect Education remains fully operational with the CCOE and ASL Connect teams who are working remotely to support the needs of our students, faculty, and staff. Our teams are available during normal business hours to answer any inquiries and assist with any requests.

For registration related questions, email aslconnect.admissions@gallaudet.edu
For general ASL related questions, email aslconnect@gallaudet.edu

The ASL Summer Residency Program offers immersive ASL learning opportunities at Gallaudet University for adult learners from diverse educational, cultural, regional and language backgrounds. Summer students from all over the nation and world share a common goal of wanting to accelerate their learning of ASL in the world's only university designed specifically for deaf and hard of hearing students. Accredited ASL courses offered in two-week sessions throughout the summer allow students to increase their language competency without the distractions of their day-to-day lives with the option to stay in our campus dorms.  See housing and meal plans for more information.
Students enrolled in the program have interests in the following:

• Communicating with a deaf family member, friend, or co-worker
• Learning a new language and culture
• Completing accredited ASL courses to meet language requirements
• Possible future in interpreting

Gallaudet ASL courses are taught by Deaf ASL professionals with degrees in ASL Education, Linguistics, Deaf Studies, and related fields. All curricula are developed by educators and curriculum design experts with knowledge of first, second, and multi-language learning frameworks. Students benefit firsthand the fundamentals of ASL and direct contact with members of the signing community. Students are strongly encouraged to attend ASL and cultural learning events in evenings and weekends on and off-campus sponsored by the program and independent organizations in the DC metro area. Gallaudet University is situated in a cultural mecca and one of the world's most visited cities with unrivaled free cultural activities, which gives summer students the opportunity to explore. Students accepted into the program are expected to abide by the no-voice policy within the program. Students are to utilize their acquired language skills to fully maximize their learning potential in a full immersion cultural environment to participate in community engagement and awareness. What better place to learn ASL at the only liberal arts college for the deaf in the world?

The registration deadline is 3 weeks prior to the start date of course.
International Tuition
Application Fee and Refund Policy

Beginning Fingerspelling (1 credit)

This course is designed to help students develop comprehension and pro fingerspelling skills used in American Sign Language. Within a range of contexts and using a variety of topics, the instructor will guide the students through extensive fingerspelling drills that emphasize clear form and transitions. Pass/fail grading basis. 
Prerequisite: Completion of ASL II or permission of the department.
Tuition: PST: $316
Course Materials: None
Note: Payment must be received to finalize your course registration.

Course Schedule     Sign Up

Intermediate Fingerspelling (1 credit)

This course expands the emphasis on using fingerspelled and abbreviated words as well as lexicalized signs in ASL within a range of contexts. The instructor will guide the student through dialogues and short stories that emphasize clear form and transitions.
Prerequisite: Completion of ASL III or permission of the department. Pass/fail grading basis.
Tuition: PST: $316
Course materials: None
Note: Payment must be received to finalize your course registration.

Course Schedule     Sign Up

Special Topic: Classifiers I (1 credit)

This course introduces the students to basic classifiers. Skill-building activities are included. Pass/fail grading basis.
Prerequisite: Completion of ASL I or permission of the department.
Tuition: PST: $316
Course materials: None
Note: Payment must be received to finalize your course registration.

Course Schedule     Sign Up

Special Topic: Classifiers II

This course focuses on the application and expansion of classifiers. Rules will be provided for classifier use in various contexts, emphasizing how the signer’s perspective influences the selection of the appropriate classifier. Pass/Fail grading basis.
Prerequisite: Completion of ASL III or permission of department.
Tuition: PST: $316
Course materials: None
Note: Payment must be received to finalize your course registration.

Course Schedule     Sign Up

Visual Gestural Communication (3 credits)

>Students will develop capabilities in non-verbal communication and visual-gestural communication, studying gestures as a form of communication and a basis for visual language. Emphasis is on learning to think in pictures and building production and comprehension communication skills.
Prerequisite: None
Tuition: PST: $950
Course materials: None
Note: Payment must be received to finalize your course registration.

Course Schedule    Sign Up

ASL I (3 credits)

>This course introduces the basics of American Sign Language (ASL) and is designed for students who have little or no previous knowledge of ASL. Readiness for learning will be approached via visual-gestural communication techniques, visual discrimination, and visual memory exercises. ASL questions, commands, and other simple sentence structures are introduced to develop rudimentary conversational skills in ASL. Information about the Deaf Community and Deaf Culture will be introduced.
Prerequisite: None
Tuition: PST: $950
Course materials: 1) Purchase textbook(s) at eCampus.   2) GoReact($19.95)
Click to view ASL I Syllabus in PDF format for more information.
Note: Payment must be received to finalize your course registration.

Course Schedule    Sign Up

ASL II (3 credits)

This course is designed to continue the development of American Sign Language (ASL) skills with a primary focus on refining the use of basic ASL sentence types. Pronominalization, classifiers, spatial referencing, pluralization, and temporal and distributional aspects are introduced. Students will learn routine communicative functions of the language: asking, requesting, providing clarification, giving and asking for directions. Information about the Deaf Community and Deaf Culture will be included.
Prerequisite: ASL I with a grade of "B" or better, or equivalent and permission of program coordinator.
Tuition: PST: $950
Course materials: Purchase textbook(s) at eCampus.  2) GoReact  ($19.95)
Click to view ASL II Syllabus in PDF format for more information.
Note: Payment must be received to finalize your course registration.

Course Schedule    Sign Up

ASL III (3 credits)

This course builds on skills learned in American Sign Language (ASL) II, adding more complex ASL grammatical features and vocabulary, short stories, narratives, and dialogues. The course will include the description of general surroundings, appropriate sequencing, temporal aspects, and conditionals. Information about the Deaf Community and Deaf Culture will be included.
Prerequisite: ASL II with a grade of "B" or better, or equivalent and permission of program coordinator.
Tuition: $950
Course Materials: 1) Purchase textbook(s) at eCampus.  2) GoReact($19.95)
Click to view Online ASL III Syllabus in PDF format for more information.
Note: Payment must be received to finalize your course registration.

Course Schedule    Sign Up

ASL IV (3 credits)

This course expands on the development of American Sign Language (ASL) vocabulary and grammar, including the use of two to three character role shifts. Students describe settings and explain or discuss everyday objects and their use, step-by-step processes, cause and effect, and culturally significant topics relating to the Deaf Community.
Tuition: $950
Course Materials: 1) Purchase textbook(s) at eCampus.   2) GoReact ($19.95)
Click to view ASL IV Syllabus in PDF format for more information.
Note: Payment must be received to finalize your course registration.

Course Schedule     Sign Up

ASL V (3 credits)

This course applies knowledge of American Sign Language (ASL) grammar and vocabulary to the description of increasingly complex constructs, processes, and situations. Students incorporate multiple character role shifting into medium-length stories, narratives and the discussion of hypothetical issues. Information on cultural values and attitudes as they relate to the Deaf Community is also examined.
Prerequisite: ASL IV with a grade of "B" or better, or equivalent and permission of program coordinator.
Tuition: PST: $950
Course materials: 1) Purchase textbook(s) at eCampus.  2) GoReact ($19.95)
Click to view ASL V Syllabus in PDF format for more information.
Note: Payment must be received to finalize your course registration.

Course Schedule     Sign Up

ASL VI (3 credits)

This course builds on the cultural competence and language skills developed in ASL V with an increased focus on developing comprehension and production storytelling skills.
Prerequisite: ASL V with a grade of "B" or better, or equivalent and permission of program coordinator.
Tuition: PST: $950
Course Materials: 1) Provided by instructor 2) GoReact($19.95)
Click to view ASL VI Syllabus in PDF format for more information.
Note: Payment must be received to finalize your course registration.

Course Schedule     Sign Up

You will need Adobe Reader to view these PDF documents. Adobe Acrobat reader is free software that can be downloaded from the Adobe Reader website.