Concept Taxonomy
Course: Introduction to American Sign Language (ASL) Total Categories: 12 Generated: 2025-12-29
Taxonomy Categories
1. FOUND - Foundation Concepts
TaxonomyID: FOUND
Description: Core foundational concepts about ASL, communication, and the basic parameters of sign language (handshape, movement, location, palm orientation, facial expression).
Concepts: American Sign Language, Deaf Community, Deaf Culture, Visual Communication, Manual Communication, Handshape, Palm Orientation, Movement, Location, Facial Expression
Estimated Count: ~10 concepts
2. BASIC - Alphabet & Numbers
TaxonomyID: BASIC
Description: Fundamental building blocks including the ASL alphabet, fingerspelling techniques, numbers, and counting concepts.
Concepts: Fingerspelling, ASL Alphabet, Letter groups, Numbers 1-100, Counting, Age Signs, Time Expressions
Estimated Count: ~20 concepts
3. CONV - Conversation Basics
TaxonomyID: CONV
Description: Essential conversational signs for greetings, basic interaction, politeness, question words, and common phrases used in everyday communication.
Concepts: Hello, Goodbye, Please, Thank You, Yes, No, Maybe, Help, Finished, What, Who, Where, When, Why, How
Estimated Count: ~20 concepts
4. PRON - Pronouns & Reference
TaxonomyID: PRON
Description: Pronouns, demonstratives, and basic grammatical concepts for referring to people, objects, and spatial locations.
Concepts: I, You, He/She, We, They, This, That, Here, There, Signing Space, Directionality, Indexing, Topicalization, Negation, Question Formation
Estimated Count: ~15 concepts
5. EMOT - Emotions & Feelings
TaxonomyID: EMOT
Description: Signs and expressions for communicating emotions, feelings, states of being, and emotional intensity.
Concepts: Happy, Sad, Angry, Excited, Nervous, Scared, Calm, Surprised, Confused, Love, Like, Dislike, Emotion Intensity
Estimated Count: ~20 concepts
6. PEOP - People & Family
TaxonomyID: PEOP
Description: Signs for family members, relationships, and different types of people in one's life and community.
Concepts: Family, Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, Grandparents, Aunt, Uncle, Baby, Friend, Teacher, Student, Boy, Girl
Estimated Count: ~15 concepts
7. FOOD - Food & Eating
TaxonomyID: FOOD
Description: Vocabulary related to food, meals, eating, drinking, and expressing food preferences.
Concepts: Food, Eat, Drink, Hungry, Thirsty, Meals (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner), Common foods (Apple, Pizza, Milk, Cookie, Ice Cream), Favorite, Delicious
Estimated Count: ~20 concepts
8. ANIM - Animals & Nature
TaxonomyID: ANIM
Description: Signs for animals, plants, natural elements, and the environment.
Concepts: Animal, Dog, Cat, Bird, Fish, Horse, Bear, Butterfly, Tree, Flower, Sun, Rain, Nature, Environment
Estimated Count: ~15 concepts
9. DESC - Descriptive Words
TaxonomyID: DESC
Description: Colors, adjectives, and descriptive vocabulary for characterizing objects, people, and experiences.
Concepts: Color names (Red, Blue, Yellow, Green), Size (Big, Small), Temperature (Hot, Cold), Speed (Fast, Slow), Quality (Good, Bad, Beautiful), Age (New, Old)
Estimated Count: ~15 concepts
10. VERB - Action Verbs
TaxonomyID: VERB
Description: Common action verbs and activities for describing what people do.
Concepts: Play, Run, Jump, Walk, Sit, Stand, Sleep, Read, Write, Draw, Watch, Learn, Teach, Practice, Perform
Estimated Count: ~15 concepts
11. GRAM - Grammar & Expression
TaxonomyID: GRAM
Description: Grammatical structures, linguistic features, non-manual signals, facial grammar, and expressive elements of ASL.
Concepts: Classifier, Role Shift, Time Marker, Subject-Verb-Object, Depicting Verb, Spatial Reference, Agreement Verb, Non-Manual Signals, Eyebrow movements, Head nods/shakes, Eye Gaze, Mouth Morphemes, Question Face, Statement Face
Estimated Count: ~20 concepts
12. CULT - Culture & Communication
TaxonomyID: CULT
Description: Deaf culture, history, communication etiquette, cultural institutions, and performance/expression in the Deaf community.
Concepts: Deaf Identity, Deaf Pride, Gallaudet University, Sign Language Interpreter, Deaf School, Visual Alert Systems, Captioning, ASL Recognition, Deaf Art, Regional Sign Variation, Eye Contact, Getting Attention, Signing Clearly, Storytelling, Self-Expression
Estimated Count: ~15 concepts
Distribution Summary
| Category | TaxonomyID | Estimated Concepts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation Concepts | FOUND | 10 | 5% |
| Alphabet & Numbers | BASIC | 20 | 10% |
| Conversation Basics | CONV | 20 | 10% |
| Pronouns & Reference | PRON | 15 | 7.5% |
| Emotions & Feelings | EMOT | 20 | 10% |
| People & Family | PEOP | 15 | 7.5% |
| Food & Eating | FOOD | 20 | 10% |
| Animals & Nature | ANIM | 15 | 7.5% |
| Descriptive Words | DESC | 15 | 7.5% |
| Action Verbs | VERB | 15 | 7.5% |
| Grammar & Expression | GRAM | 20 | 10% |
| Culture & Communication | CULT | 15 | 7.5% |
| TOTAL | 200 | 100% |
Design Rationale
- Balanced Distribution: No single category exceeds 10% of total concepts (20 concepts), ensuring even coverage
- Pedagogical Progression: Categories flow from foundational (FOUND, BASIC) to conversational (CONV, PRON) to vocabulary (EMOT, PEOP, FOOD, ANIM, DESC, VERB) to advanced (GRAM, CULT)
- Age-Appropriate: Categories align with grades 4-8 learning objectives and the 6-week course structure
- Cultural Inclusion: CULT category emphasizes Deaf culture awareness alongside language learning
- Grammar Integration: GRAM combines linguistic structure with expressive elements (facial grammar, non-manual signals)
- Clear Boundaries: Each category has distinct membership criteria to avoid ambiguity