Keith M. Cagle, Ph.D.

ASLTA Professional Level - certified

E-mail: kmcagle@gmail.com
As of 2015

Workshop Titles and Abstracts:

Are Some ASL Signs 1000 Years Old?
The presenter will describe findings resulting from his doctoral studies describing the
lexical borrowing apparent between and among Cistercian Sign Language, Old French
Sign Language, and modern ASL.
Length of Workshop:

1 hour

Required: Computer & LCD Monitor

"1000 ASL Faces"

The workshop will discuss on: (a) the importance of non-manual expressions for ASL; (b) the
functions of non-manual expressions (grammatical signals, modifiers, independent signs and listener's
feedback); (c) some bi-cultural misunderstandings of non-manual expressions between deaf culture
and general American culture (hearing people); (d) the importance of listener's feedbacks and its four
categories to stimulate and continue communication between the ASL signers; (e) the
non-manual components with an emphasis on ASL mouthings; (f) manipulation with mouth movement
and eye signals; and (g) factors (age, gender, ethnical culture, location and who) influencing NMS.
Length of Workshop:

5-6 hours

Required: Computer & LCD Monitor

1000 Deaf and ASL Jokes and Stories

This presentation introduces common ASL and Deaf Cultural jokes, folklore and creative
artistic stories shared by Deaf community members. It shows how Deaf people create ASL
and Deaf cultural jokes, folklore and creative artistic stories through playing and creative
use of ASL & written ASL words, ASL handshapes and numerical signs, signed & written
English, sounds of English words, deafness, acronyms, mouthing, fingerspelling, signing
puns, State's and place's signs, paranoid and experiences, mistaken signs made by
interpreters and ASL students, hearing people and groups within the Deaf community. It
guarantees you hours of roaring laughter and is an excellent way to prepare for
interpreting for Deaf people who use jokes in the course of their discourse.

Length of workshop: 2 hours

1000 ASL Semantics

The workshop will discuss several ways of looking at the semantics in ASL: a) Same English lexical
item with many different ASL signs, depending on the meaning of English lexical item in sentences; b)
Same ASL lexical sign with many different English words, depending on the meaning and
sentence/dialogue the sign is used in; and c) semantic networking where a base ASL sign may be
interrelated with other ASL signs as based on a prototype of meaning. The purpose of this workshop
is to expand the ASL vocabulary knowledge and translation between ASL and English.
Length of workshop:

4-5 hours

Required: Computer & LCD Monitor

"Culture and Conflict in Deaf and Hearing Worlds"

This workshop will discuss cultural differences between the hearing and deaf worlds since some of
them are often sources of misunderstandings and sensitivity between the hearing and Deaf people in a
variety of settings (professional, employment, social and personal). The workshop will include
discussion of: (a) community and culture; (b) sensory differences; (c) social manners and rules; (d)
confronting privacy and information; (e) linguistic factors; and (f) external factors upon our cultures.
This workshop really benefits both hearing and Deaf people.
Length of Workshop:

4-5 hours

Required: Computer & LCD Monitor

Effective Public Presentation in ASL and Deaf Culture

The workshop discusses the cultural differences between hearing and Deaf presentation styles: a)
getting attention and logistic business; b) introduction of guest speaker and credibility; c) how the
presenter begin and conclude his/her presentation culturally; and d) cohesive features for outlining.
The workshop includes discussion on pre-planning for presentation setting up, importance of visual
aids and breaks for Deaf audience, and techniques to improve a Deaf persons public presentation
skills.
Length of Workshop:

4 hours

Required: Computer & LCD Monitor

From Signed English to ASL, HOW???

The presenter will outline some Signing English grammatical signs (e.g. the, -ing, -ness, ment, of, by, past tense signs and personal pronouns) and word order (e.g. SVO and time
frame), then demonstrate how to express those concepts in American Sign Language without

relying on the Signing Englishs grammatical signs and word order. Signing According to meaning
and concept will be discussed and demonstrated.
Length of workshop: 4-5 hours

Required: Computer & LCD Monitor

How to Construct in ASL with Classifiers

The hand-on experience workshop will help the students to understand and learn how to use the
following principles in signing to construct the objects: a) subject/object along with color, size,
noun and classifiers; b) reference point; c) Object Subject Verb (OSV); and d) classifiers of Cl: A,
B, C, C-small, F, G, H, I and 5-bent.
Length of Workshop:

2-3 hours

Required: Computer & LCD Monitor

Manipulating Semantics in Registers and Continuum"

The workshop will discuss settings in different register levels: frozen, formal, consultative,
conversational, intimidate and coding. And discuss how semantic could be changed in different
level, and in a range from one extreme side to another extreme. The participants will have some
on-hand activities to exercise manipulating semantics in different registers and continuum.
Length of workshop:

5 hours

Required: Computer, LCD Monitor and

DVD/VHS player

Sign Language Proficiency Interview: ASL Training (NTID version)

The training with another co-trainer requires at least four days to train the maximum of 12
participants to become new SLPI: ASL interviewer and rater. The participants will learn about the
purpose and history of SLPI: ASL (NTID version), difference between form and function, and how to
evaluate only form, then function and finally both form and function. Then the participants will learn
about interviewing techniques and how to determine rating for each candidate through practices.
Length of workshop:

At least four days

Required: Computer, LCD Monitor and

DVD/VHS player

"The Basics about ASL Linguistics"

The workshop introduces the participants to basic information about language, linguistics, histories
and developments of ASL and English, components of ASL phonology, morphology, syntax and
discourse, semantic, and socio-linguistics. The workshop will benefit both Deaf and hearing signers.
Length of Workshop:

10 hours (two days)

Required: Computer & LCD Monitor

"The Basics about Teaching ASL"

The 10-hours training introduces you to basic and important information about how to teach
American Sign Language. It explains about motivation, history of teaching ASL, different teaching
methods, teaching fingerspelling, vocabulary, grammar, Deaf culture, conversational skills, activities
in classroom, evaluation, selection of resources and materials, course syllabus and professionalization.
It is a MUST for new and interested ASL teachers.
Length of Workshop:

10 hours (two days)

Required: Computer, LCD Monitor and

DVD/VHS player

"ASL Teaching Methods"

The presenter will begin with a lecture delineating important principles of teaching ASL,
including different teaching methods for introducing vocabulary, grammar and Deaf
culture, and then he will demonstrate some examples of those methods. The presenter will
discuss the traditional and modern methods: Grammar Translation Method, Gouin and the
Series Method, The Direct Method ("Berlitz method"), The Audio-lingual Method ("Army
method"), Designer Methods of the Spirited Seventies, and Notional-Functional Syllabus
(curricula).
Length of Workshop:

5 hours

Required: Computer, LCD Monitor and

DVD/VHS player

Developing an Effective Evaluation System for ASL Students

The workshop is designed for the ASL/ITP educators. It will focus on developing an evaluation
system for ASL/ITP classes. The presenter will provide multiple types of evaluations / exams
/assessments; explain the purposes of evaluating ASL students; outline the key principles to evaluate
ASL students; provide tools to develop knowledge of evaluating on components such as culture,
community and linguistics as well as skills which include three areas: 1) receptive, 2) expressive and
3) conversational; offer a variety of evaluation tools on knowledge and skills and provide a variety of
grading methods.
Length of workshop: 5 hours

Required: Computer & LCD Monitor

Types of ASL Sentences

The workshop discusses the eighteen (29) types of ASL sentences such as Statement, Negation,
Assertion, Command, Yes/No Question - Regular, Yes/No Question - Positive biased, Yes/No
Question - Negative biased, WH Question - Regular, WH Question - Positive biased, WH Question
- Negative biased, Rhetorical Question, Tag Question, Conditional Signal - Statement, Conditional
Signal - Question, Relative Clause, Topicalization, Adverbial Clause and Comparative Sentence. The
workshop includes hand-on practices with the types of ASL sentences, pre-quiz and post-quiz.

Length of workshop:

5 hours

Required: Computer & LCD Monitor

"Video-Technology as Instructional and Evaluation Tools"

The presenter will demonstrate a video-instruction techniques used in his ASL classes. Several first
and final videotapings of his students will be viewed to indicate the changes and improvements from
strong English-like signing to ASL-like signing in a session. This technique is useful for training
English-like signer to become ASL signer.
Length of Workshop:

1 hour

Required: Computer, LCD Monitor and

DVD/VHS player

"WRITE SYLLABUS and LESSON PLAN, HOW?"

This workshop discusses an importance of syllabus and lesson plan for your ASL course, and
introduces important information for development of syllabus and lesson plan including components:
course description, goals, objectives, strategies, grading criteria and resources. They are essential for
ASL courses and application for ASLTA certification of Provisional level.
Length of Workshop:

3 hours

Required: Computer & LCD Monitor