American Sign Language Beginners Level 1

Learn the basics of American Sign Language (ASL)

This course is designed for students who have little or zero knowledge of ASL.

In this course, you will learn:

Deaf awareness
Deaf culture
ASL grammar and syntax

At the end of the course, you will:

Be able to carry on a basic conversation in ASL using expressive and receptive skills
Have an increased basic knowledge of the deaf culture and the deaf community

Note: ASL is the only language of communication to be used in the classroom.

The course will use the textbook, Signing Naturally (Authors: Cheri Smith, Ella Mae Lentz and Ken Mikos), covering units 1 and 2.

No materials required. Students are recommended to purchase Signing Naturally, but it is not a requirement for this course.

Fall term

Tuesdays, Oct. 8 to Nov. 12 (6 weeks)
6 - 8 p.m.
$170 (+ HST)

Winter term

Tuesdays, Feb. 4 to March 18 (6 weeks, no class March 4)
6 - 8 p.m.
$170 (+ HST)

Registration opens Oct. 18.

About the instructor

Jacqueline Plant, a proud Deaf woman, uses American Sign Language (ASL) for communication, knowledge and information. She is a lifelong student for E.C. Drury School for the Deaf in Milton. She is an alumna of Gallaudet University in Psychology.

For the last 20 years, Jacqueline developed ASL programs and taught ASL to the community and an ASL-English Interpreter program at Cambrian College in Sudbury for several years. She provided workshops and developed visual materials in ASL as the language instruction. She has been an advocate for the language rights of Deaf children. She is an ASL performer.