Let's Chat! American Sign Language (ASL)

Reviewed by Suzann Bedrosian, Adjunct professor, Worcester State University on 6/18/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Upon reviewing this e-book, I found it to be quite comprehensive, offering a wide range of topic ideas for teaching ASL language in the classroom that students can relate to. It adheres to ACTFL guidelines, NCSSFL standards, and Idaho Content Standards for World Languages, incorporating 'can do' statements such as "I can describe what others look like." This feature is particularly beneficial for teachers, administrators, and stakeholders alike, supporting American Sign Language as a viable option for world language and/or elective credits within their grading system/course offerings.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The "Let's Chat in ASL" e-book is highly accurate in its content and cultural competency. It remains unbiased and authentically represents Deaf culture, making its contents easily relatable.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This book features current content that is adaptable in structure. Its straightforward organization facilitates easy adaptation, complemented by instructional videos. Its use of technology ensures accessibility and inclusion for necessary updates.

Clarity rating: 5

"Let's Chat in ASL" by Boise State University, as an online book, excels in clarity and fluidity in its writing. The content is well-structured and flows seamlessly, making it accessible and engaging for learners. The language used is clear and easy to follow, which enhances comprehension and referencing teachable of ASL concepts. Overall, it effectively supports online learning and it offers an in-person apporach with its cohesive presentation and user-friendly format.

Consistency rating: 5

This book is a super star as far as consistency goes related to course framework and terminology for this language subject of American Sign Language.

Modularity rating: 5

"Let's Chat in ASL online e-book is very easy to read and has organized units and sub-units. It is very accessible and easy to adapt for one's one teaching plans. The thematic table of contents is a great help!

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Even though this book was organized by advanced students at Boise State University, it is very well-structured, featuring a thematic table of contents that includes materials for both online and in-class formats, suitable for warm-ups and actual practice. Everything flowed just perfectly! These teaching materials are accessible through Google Slides, Canva, Kahoot, and Adobe Acrobat. However, a downside is that one must create accounts to access these teaching materials if they don't already have them.

Interface rating: 4

The interface of this book is nicely organized, although there are some formatting issues when accessing PPT slides or other materials. However, these issues are minor and do not significantly detract from the usefulness of the information. The content can still be effectively adapted to existing ASL curriculum materials used in classes across the country.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

Positive comments: This book, developed by advanced ASL students, provides an insightful perspective into the language. The difficulty of the language is often underrated, as ASL presents unique challenges due to its kinetic and visual/gestural nature. It's important for learners to be comfortable with using their bodies to communicate effectively. I did notice a few proofreading errors, but they do not detract from the overall quality of the content.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This book clearly explains aspects of Deaf culture, highlighting cultural competent behaviors such as eye gaze, head and shoulder shifts, and spatial references, etc. It does address the "hearing factor" versus the lack of hearing, providing practical examples like navigating fast food or coffee pick-up drive-throughs. It does not mention anything about ethnic groups or people from other cultures in this online book. It does have a section on ''taboos'' related as a conversation starter.

Comments

I would appreciate seeing demonstrations of actual sign language lessons involving teachers with students or peers interacting with each other by way of videos less than 5 minutes. This could serve as an initiative to encourage other ASL students, demonstrating that they are not alone in their levels of mastery.