American Sign Language

Course details

American sign language is a thriving language, separate from English, used throughout the U.S., Canada, Africa, and some other parts of the world. While no census has been undertaken to determine the exact number of ASL speakers, most studies show the number to range between 250,000 and 500,000 native ASL speakers, with some 2 million more having a grasp of the language as a secondary or third language. Learning ASL allows you to communicate with any of these people, in any situation.

Whether you're seeking self-improvement and personal growth, work with the deaf community, or have friends or family members who are either deaf or are losing their hearing, learning American Sign Language, or ASL, can be immensely valuable to you. In addition to improving your skillset and learning a new language, you will learn how to use your body language and facial expressions to communicate, which can benefit you in every walk of life, including vocal communication.

Learning sign language is a great way to give back to your community by allowing you to communicate with deaf members of your neighborhood. It also allows you to facilitate communication in multiple fields, and can be highly beneficial for teachers, persons working in customer service and sales, and for those working with children in any capacity.

What you will learn

This ASL course will walk you through the fundamentals of sign language with interactive video lessons to teach you how to begin communicating with the deaf community. You will learn the most important signs to get you started, fingerspelling, grammar, theory, and much more, so that when you complete this course, you will be able to ask questions, chat, and you will have a strong base for easily learning more signs. Because there are several thousand signs in ASL, this course is designed to give you a strong understanding of the fundamentals you need to communicate in ASL, rather than giving you a dictionary of every sign available. This will allow you to master what you need to begin communication, and then move on to increasing your vocabulary at your own pace.

The Basics Learn the alphabet, numbers, fingerspelling, introductions, greetings, and names, so that you can introduce yourself, and get a conversation started.
Questions Learn how to ask questions, how to phrase them, and how to ask about objects when you don't know the sign.

Work & Education You will learn how to make appointments, ask the time, travel, use work titles, and much more.
Conversations Learn how to talk about friends and family, how to use expressions to convey what you mean, how to ask questions and make statements, and how to describe actions and objects. This will allow you to have conversations about people, places, and things.

Master the fundamentals of grammar, structure, and rules to ensure that you have a good base for learning and speaking ASL.
Etiquette You will walk away with an understanding of deaf etiquette, so that you can approach any situation as politely and appropriately as possible.

Course for?

This course is ideal for anyone who wants to get started with American Sign Language to enhance their communication skills.

With in-depth video tutorials and lessons, explanations of theory and usage, and a format that allows you to study at your own pace, this course is designed to make learning ASL as easy and as friendly as possible. Even if you're not planning to use ASL right away, learning it can be beneficial to you, your career, and your communication skills.
Reserve your place in our crash course in ASL to get started with one of the most vibrant and interactive languages on the America. Learn through interactive video hosted by a licensed ASL teacher, and study at your own pace to master the signs you need to communicate with others. All of our courses are backed by a full 14-day guarantee and accredited by the International Council for Online Education Standards.

Requirements

International Open Academy courses are designed for anyone with an interest in learning. No formal qualifications are required to study with us. Our courses are suitable if you want to learn new skills, start a new career, or if you're already working in a particular industry and wish to upgrade your talents and enhance your resume.

Career path

After completing this course, you could:

• Continue your education in ASL, towards becoming fully fluent
  
• Explore the many careers that involve working with and assisting the deaf community
  
• Be better able to communicate with deaf friends, family, and coworkers