American Sign Language I

Andrew Bottoms was raised in North Carolina in a Deaf family. He is currently an American Sign Language (ASL) preceptor at Harvard University in the Department of Linguistics. Bottoms has taught various levels of ASL and Deaf studies courses at multiple universities including Boston University, Wheelock College, Gallaudet University, and the University of California, Los Angeles, in the past ten years. Bottoms holds two bachelor's degrees, one in American Sign Language and the other in Deaf studies, and a master's degree in sign language education from Gallaudet University. He is passionate about teaching ASL and sharing the culture embodied by the language, and he specializes in ASL literature. Bottoms prides himself on promoting linguistic access as a human right for all Deaf people, in particular ensuring that Deaf children are able to navigate their identity via a community rich in ASL, Deaf literature, and Deaf history.