Just blocks from the Empire State Building, the Sign Language Center offers a comprehensive learning experience for beginners to advanced ASL speakers. All courses are taught by “Native” Deaf individuals in the hopes of further bridging the gap between the hearing and Deaf communities. Level 1 ASL is their beginner-friendly course, and it focuses on developing a strong foundational “ASLary” (their word for vocabulary), fingerspelling, and learning numbers. Students will also learn more about interacting with the deaf community. From here, students can continue moving up the class levels as their skills improve. The last class in the series is Level 6 ASL, which is designed to immerse students in ASL and test the skills learned in Levels 1-5. They will discuss Deaf humor, idioms, and slang, as well as practice discussing current events and reviewing various forms of ASL media.
The Sign Language Center also offers classes for ASL speakers of all experience levels looking to boost their skills. The Fingerspelling Workshop is for anyone who wants to improve the articulation and production of their fingerspelling. There is also an advanced Conversational Class that teaches students to converse in a more natural style while maintaining accuracy and respect. Students with some ASL experience can contact the school directly for a placement interview to determine which level is best suited for their current skills.
Classes at the Sign Language Center have received largely positive reviews. Many students report that the instructors are amazing and very skilled at engaging beginner students. They appreciate the interactive nature of the classes and find them to be both comprehensive and easy to follow. A lot of students felt like they learned a lot in a short time and were eager to attend future courses. They also enjoyed learning more about the Deaf community and Deaf culture.
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