Humphries, Tom L. : University of California-San Diego
Tom L. Humphries holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Cross Cultural Communication and Language Learning from
the Union Graduate School. His doctoral studies included an in-depth study of adult/second language learning and
two years of experimentation and development of a bilingual/bicultural American Sign Language/English classroom
at Gallaudet College. He attended Gallaudet College, receiving a B.S. degree in 1968 and a M.A. degree in Secondary
Education (English) in 1972. He later served as a member of the English Language program in the Department of English
at Gallaudet for several years. In 1978, he moved to San Diego and was employed as an instructor at the Educational
Cultural Complex of the San Diego Community College District where he taught ASL and English to Deaf students and
ASL to hearing students. He was an Associate Dean for the San Diego Community College District for several years
where he coordinated the development of an ASL program and an interpreter training program. He also supervised
instructional and support services for Deaf students and students with other disabilities. He is currently on the
faculty of the Teacher Education Program and the Department of Communication at the University of California, San
Diego. He is co-author with Carol Padden of Deaf in America : Voices from a Culture and several other books and
articles related to ASL and the culture of Deaf people. Tom is active in training ASL teachers and others about
Deaf people's culture, language and community.
Padden, Carol : University of California-San Diego
Carol Padden is Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of California, San
Diego where she teaches courses on language, culture and media. After attending Kendall School on the Gallaudet
University campus as a child, she transferred to a public school and graduated from a local high school. She is
a graduate of Georgetown University with a B.S. in Linguistics, and received a Ph. D. degree in Linguistics from
the University of California, San Diego. She has published numerous books and articles on American Sign Language
structure, including her dissertation, Interaction of Morphology and Syntax in ASL. She co-authored with her husband,
Tom Humphries, Deaf in America : Voices from a Culture, and has written several other articles on the community
and culture of Deaf people in America. She has been the recipient of several prestigious awards, fellowships and
grants, including a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship and an Outstanding Faculty Award from the University of California,
San Diego. She travels widely across the country and the world, speaking on subjects of language structure, language
symbolism and language lives of young deaf children and adults.
O'Rourke, Terrence J. :
Terrence J. O'Rourke founded T.J. Publishers, Inc. in 1978. He was born in Bellingham, Washington and lost his
hearing at the age of then. He was a graduate of the California School for the Deaf, Berkeley and Gallaudet University.
Through his work with the National Association of the Deaf, he was instrumental in establishing sign language programs
in schools, colleges, universities and agencies across the nation. He became an internationally recognized expert
on American Sign Language and led the way to the formal recognition of ASL as a language by encouraging and participating
in formal linguistic research with various institutions. He served as both vice president and president of the
American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities and was a member of the Executive Committee of the President's
Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. He provided a vehicle, through T. J. Publishers, to disseminate information
about Deaf people, materials to expand Deaf awareness and books and videotapes on the language of greatly encouraged
the works of Deaf authors. He edited and authored more than five books himself, including A Basic Course in Manual
Communication and A Basic Vocabulary : American Sign Language for Parents and Children. T.J., as he was known,
passed away in January, 1992. He was truly a giant in the Deaf community. He touched the lives of everyone he met
and helped change the quality of life for all Deaf people. He will be greatly missed.
Summary
The second Edition features a new introduction, which includes a section on Deaf Culture and Community, expanded
dialogue introductions that incorporate cultural information, revised grammar notes and an updated bibliography.
The spiral bound text features a new reinforced and upgraded laminated cover, which will make it more durable.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Lesson 1.
Personal Pronouns
Basic Sentence Structure : Sentences with Predicate Adjectives
Lesson 2.
Possessives
Basic Sentence Structure : Sentences with Identifying Nouns
Using Two Third Person Pronouns
Note : Used of AGENT Suffix
Lesson 3.
Basic Sentence Structure : Sentences with Verbs
Basic Sentence Structure : Pronouns and Nouns
Basic Sentence Structure : Adjectives and Nouns
Descriptive Adjectives
Lesson 4.
Negatives
Yes/No Questions
Responses to Yes/No Questions
Negative Questions
DIALOGUE 1.
Lesson 5.
Basic Sentence Structure : Present and Past Tense
Basic Sentence Structure : Using FINISH
Basic Sentence Structure : Future Tense
Note : Establishing the Tense Context
