Academic Studies for Deaf Adults (ASDA) in English Literacy Program

This program is designed for all Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students who communicate in American Sign Language and desire to improve their
English literacy in order to effectively communicate with their superiors and colleagues in the employment setting. All levels of reading and
writing classes have access to sophisticated instructional technology, including computer labs and Smart classrooms. The program includes
five different levels of English classes and requires testing for reading, writing and computer skills prior to registration for appropriate placement. Make appointment for placement test with Yakov Shifrin.

As a continuing education student, you may also have access to a self-contained academic class in writing and reading if you have college
level English literacy skills. Course grades are determined by attendance, participation, grades on quizzes, homework assignments and a final exam.

For registration information, visit the How to Register page. To find out about the start and end dates of these quarterly classes, download our brochure. Please note that all course information is subject to change.

Basic Skills in Reading (BSR)

Basic Skills in Writing (BSW)

ASDA Level I: Intensive Beginning American Sign Language for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing New Readers and Writers

ASDA Level II - Reading

ASDA Level II - Writing

ASDA Level III - Reading

ASDA Level III - Writing

ASDA Level IV - Reading

ASDA Level IV - Writing

ASDA Level V - College Prep - Reading and Writing

Basic Skills in Reading (BSR)

This course is offered through the LaGuardia's Academic Affairs Division in preparation for college entry. Students must have at least 5th grade of reading level. This class is offered in Fall and Spring only. Please contact Kim Lucas.

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Basic Skills in Writing (BSW)

This course is offered through the LaGuardia's Academic Affairs Division in preparation for college entry. Students must have at least 5th grade of reading level. This class is offered in Fall and Spring only. Please contact Kim Lucas.

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This course will prepare Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students, new to American Sign Language and English, to interact in ASL and improve their English. You will use pictorial representations to understand, retell and respond to ideas in these books in ASL and written English. You will also develop communication skills to understand and be understood when signing about life situations, and to understand and express the content of 14 picture books through ASL and short written summaries or responses.

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ASDA Level II - Reading

This course will help new Deaf adult readers to read both fiction and non-fiction, discuss understandings, write brief summaries and reactions, and answer questions about what they have read. You will also prepare a children’s storybook to read “aloud” to the class. This course is for students who score below a 2 on the TABE.

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ASDA Level II - Writing

This course will help Deaf adults write approximately ten short compositions about picture stories, themselves and other people. You will learn how to place words and phrases into their proper positions in an English sentence, correct them, and write them into paragraph form. At midterm, you will write personal diary entries using the past tense. Co-requisite: Keyboarding & Telecommunication Skills unless waived.

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ASDA Level III - Reading

This course will help advanced beginner Deaf adult readers to read both fiction and nonfiction, discuss their understandings, write summaries and reactions, and answer questions about what they have read. You will also learn how to use a dictionary to select appropriate definitions of words. This course is for students who score between a 2 and 3 on the TABE.

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ASDA Level III - Writing

This course will help advanced beginner Deaf adult writers to further develop fluency, clarity and accuracy through participation in the writing
process and explicit grammatical instruction. You will write and revise three short personal essays. In addition, you will learn how to place
words and phrases from model essays into correct positions on grammar worksheets. You will also begin to earn to use proofreading symbols to correct your own mistakes. Co-requisite: Introduction to Personal Computers & Basic Word Processing unless waived.

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ASDA Level IV - Reading

This course will prepare Deaf adults to read one full-length work of fiction, as well as short stories and non-fiction pieces. You will discuss your understandings, write summaries and reactions, and answer questions about what you read. You will learn how to use a dictionary to select appropriate definitions of words. This course is for students who score between 3 and 4 on the TABE and want to improve their reading fluency and comprehension.

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ASDA Level IV - Writing

This course will give Deaf adults opportunities to make personal connections with the fiction and/or nonfiction that they are reading in three short essays, using the writing process approach. In addition, you will analyze the grammar of English through an X-word Grammar approach and see the application of the grammar in model essays and your own essays. This course is linked to the ASDA Level IV reading course. Co-requisite: Introduction to Personal Computers & Basic Word Processing unless waived.

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ASDA Level V - College Prep - Reading and Writing

This course will prepare Deaf adults for college-level reading and writing. You will learn how to write three essays that use readings to prove a thesis. Readings will be drawn from short stories, articles and/or novels. You will learn to edit your essays through the application of X-Word
grammatical structures. Course grades will be determined by attendance, response to peer writing, grades on reading and grammar quizzes, and overall improvement in essay quality. Co-requisite: Introduction to Personal Computers & Basic Word Processing unless waived.

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