What students will learn: Students will learn to communicate in American Sign Language. With learning any language, learning about the culture and the people who use this communication method will be of great importance. We will learn vocabulary, the structure (grammar and syntax) of the language, relevant historical information pertaining to the development of ASL, and build our receptive skills (the ability to understand someone signing to us). Please view the syllabus to see the topics that will be covered. Teaching Style: For 1:1 tutoring, I tailor each session to the individual student's needs, age, and cognitive level. Some have taken ASL in the past and have a strong foundation in vocabulary and need help transitioning into forming and expressing cohesive thoughts in ASL. Some are capable of receiving instruction without the use of much spoken language and others need a bit more spoken instruction to help with guiding them to grasp various concepts. Some require constant repetition through game-like practice and others benefit from a varying approach where they are challenged to pick up new signs through exposure and from context without the teacher providing an explanation. After the first or second session, I often have a good grasp of the direction to take with a student, and each path has the end goal as unsupported communication in the target language. I do not require homework but am always happy to provide it if requested and usually provide optional activities for a student to work on outside of class for their own practice. Explanation of the Values related with this class: - Knowledge - Learning ASL requires one to build a knowledge base about the culture and people who utilize this communication style as well as the history of the language and what it means to be Deaf. Idioms and slang exist in ASL just as it does in English, and students will find learning about the culture and history to aid in their ability to effectively communicate with and understand those in the Deaf community and their experiences. - Communication - We are learning to communicate with our hands! Communication is an important part of life and students will learn to communicate with their teacher and prepare for having conversations with others who use American Sign Language - Perseverance - Learning a new language can feel frustrating at times. It is important that students give themselves some grace and understand that it takes practice and consistency to become conversational in a language.