Discover the Best ASL Classes in Los Angeles
American Sign Language (ASL) is a language for the eyes and not the ears. ASL is a language separate from others as it was developed for people to communicate through hand motions, shapes, and placements along with facial expressions and body movements. The language possesses its own rules of grammar and syntax. Many high schools, universities, and other educational institutions in the United States accept ASL as a foreign language requirement needed for graduation.
There are plenty of options for learning American Sign Language in Los Angeles, which has several schools that offer ASL training from expert instructors who can provide participants with a thorough education. Los Angeles offers a broad spectrum of classes for beginning to advanced ASL courses for learning the visual language.
As with any language, ASL can have people develop regional accents or diversities in communicating that depend on their socio-economic background and other factors that lead to individuals expressing themselves differently.
Why You Should Learn ASL in Los Angeles
People living in Los Angeles may want to learn ASL for several reasons. As with picking up any new language, learning American Sign Language can contribute to improving brain functions by opening up new ways of thinking along with creating new methods for communicating with others. Of course, the main reason for learning ASL would be for communicating with the deaf or hearing impaired, who may be family members, colleagues, or students. However, acquiring skills with ASL can be used to help at community functions or even lead to work as an interpreter or educator. Training in ASL can help you find a career in education or providing interpretive services at churches, meetings, or working in broadcasting.
Knowledge in ASL allows anyone with or without hearing difficulties to become involved in various activities by simply expanding their horizons. As stated, the ability to communicate using ASL allows them to meet other people, give back to their communities, or find new careers.
In-Person ASL Classes in Los Angeles
While there are plenty of online courses available for learning ASL, many people simply feel more comfortable learning inside a classroom with an instructor standing right there in front of them. For those individuals, there are ASL courses throughout Los Angeles for in-person training.
In-person training offers the benefit of learning among other people by being able to make eye contact or pick up on subtle gestures, which is important in a course for learning a visual language. Another benefit of sitting inside a classroom is the advantage of having personal interaction with an instructor and classmates. While there are good reasons for choosing a live online course over having to sit inside a room, the physical contact with others is tough to beat.
People living in Los Angeles can enroll at Los Angeles City College, located at 855 N. Vermont Avenue, to take American Sign Language, Level 1, which trains students in the basic language structure for ASL and Deaf culture using a variety of learning methods. Lessons emphasize fingerspelling, facial grammar, facial expressions, body language, and receptive skills for communicating using ASL.
This five-session course costs $65.
Prerequisites: While this course lists no prerequisites, it does require the book American Sign Language Workbook: Exercises to Build Your Signing Vocabulary.
Students may be interested in taking the American Sign Language for Teenagers and Adults course from East Los Angeles College, located at 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez in Los Angeles that trains participants in the basic language structure for ASL. Training includes lessons on fingerspelling, facial expressions, and general communications using ASL.
This five-session course costs $80.
Prerequisites: This course lists no prerequisites.
This course requires the book American Sign Language Workbook: Exercises to Build Your Signing Vocabulary.
Parents can get their little ones to learn ASL at Little Knights LA, located at 2880 Rowena Avenue in Los Angeles, which offers Sign Language (3-36 months). With this class, younger children are taught various methods for communicating through songs and story time in learning ASL, which is a visual language that communicates through hand movements and expressions, using the head, face, eyes, and body movement.
This five-session course costs $170.
Prerequisites: This course has no prerequisites.
Virtual ASL Classes
For anyone working in Los Angeles, getting around the sprawling metropolis provides a daily challenge. Therefore, it’s understandable that few would look forward to having to go back out into the city’s notorious traffic after a long day of working to get to a classroom somewhere for training to learn any new language. For those people, live online courses provide hand-on training in ASL from expert instructors who can help students learn the visual language without having to leave home. Live online training provides convenience for learning how to communicate and contribute to the Deaf community for personal, social, or professional purposes.
Anyone interested in learning ASL through live online training can enroll at Continuing Professional Studies at Bank Street to take the American Sign Language: Module 1 online course, which provides beginning students with an immersive method for learning American Sign Language. The main objective of this course is for learning to communicate with the deaf along with exploring alternative methods for communicating with hearing children who may have language disorders that affect their ability to comprehend spoken English. This course also explores aspects of Deaf culture along with how ASL has become an essential component for everyday communication.
This four-session course costs $425.
Prerequisites: This beginner-level class requires no prerequisites.
Students must have a reliable Internet connection along with administrative access on their computers or laptops.
People can enroll at the Los Angeles City College for the American Sign Language for Adults online course. This program strives to make participants comfortable with learning how to sign. Students will learn the basic structure of ASL along with discussions on Deaf culture. This course emphasizes fingerspelling, facial grammar, and facial expressions for communicating through sign language.
This five-session course costs $55.
Prerequisites: This beginner-level class has no prerequisites.
This course requires the book American Sign Language Workbook: Exercises to Build Your Signing Vocabulary.
People can enroll with the Sign Language Center for the Level 6 ASL online course. This program immerses students in not only learning sign language but becoming familiar with Deaf culture. This course is designed for students who have advanced ASL training. Lessons include using ASL-related media such as film, vlogs, and deaf humor as well as Deaf culture related political topics, education, and social events. Students will also discuss deaf idioms, slang, and related topics for ASL dialogues.
This six-session course costs $225.
Prerequisites: Students must have completed the ASL Levels 1 through 5 courses.
Private Group ASL Classes in Los Angeles
Anyone interested can use CourseHorse for staging private group events in Los Angeles specific to several areas of education. While CourseHorse has no directly related ASL team building events, groups can use the website’s contact form to book ASL-related courses for their own private events. CourseHorse also allows clients to adjust the group size after booking the event if needed. CourseHorse provides customers who have booked events access to the education provider’s existing network that includes print and digital publishers.
ASL has become accepted by many universities and colleges as a foreign language for meeting requirements in order to graduate. Skills in this visual language can open opportunities for not only new options in communication but create possibilities for socializing and contributing to community activities like interpreting local church services or finding new careers interpreting or teaching.
Made in NYC
