Descriptions: ASL Courses 

We offer a whole range of ASL courses in NYC, covering everything from absolute beginners to more advanced topics. We have carefully created our different tier levels based on real feedback from students, so that you can learn the different components of ASL in a structured, results-focused manner. Click on the tabs below to Check out the Class descriptions to find out a little more about what each tier covers.

Sign language Courses Descriptions

ASL Class Tier 1 (Basic)
This introductory course is aimed at introducing you to the big wide world of ASL, and getting you to grips with some of the fundamentals that you will then build upon in the rest of your ASL journey. This class will introduce you to some of the basics of ASL, including finger spelling, grammar, and fundamental vocabulary. You’ll also be given a briefing on Deaf Culture, to allow you to better understand the types of people you will be talking to using ASL.
ASL Class Tier 2 (Basic)
In this class, you will build upon the basics covered in the previous class. As well as taking grammar and vocabulary a step further, you will start to learn how to express yourself a little more using ASL, including things like quantifiers and expressions. You’ll cover numbers up to 500, as well as NMS (non manual signals) which are an essential part of communication for deaf people.
ASL Class Tier 3 (Intermediate)
This class, aimed at those who already have a basic understanding of ASL, will help you to take your communication to the next level. We will cover the importance of storytelling as a way of getting information across, allowing you to use your ASL vocabulary in a whole new set of contexts. You’ll also learn more advanced grammatical structures, and go into greater depth with NMS.
ASL Class Tier 4 (Intermediate)
From this point onwards, the focus will be on practical usage of ASL- taking what you already know, and putting it in a conversational setting so that you can develop a truly comprehensive knowledge of how to get your point across. We’ll move on to geography, too, so that you can talk about different countries, and you will also learn how to talk about money- essential vocabulary in everyday life. Again, there will be sessions focused on storytelling so that you can feel confident putting all that vocab together into effective communication.
ASL Class Tier 5 (Advanced)
From this point onwards, we move towards more advanced usage of ASL. As well as developing your vocabulary, you will continue to develop your receptive and expressive skills to make communication through ASL that much easier. This particular course covers matters related to occupations, along with numbers and classifiers to ensure you can make yourself fully understood. There will be an opportunity for role play, with each person in the group switching their roles each time so that you get a thorough experience being on both sides of a typical conversation.
ASL Class Tier 6 (Advanced)
This final course is aimed at guiding you through some of the finer points of ASL communication and deaf culture, so you are ready to take what you have learned and apply it in real life. Just like people who can hear, deaf people have a rich culture of humor, as well as an interest in politics and social issues- all of these will be covered as part of this course. You’ll also learn some ASL slang and idioms so that you aren’t left out of the conversation, and learn about personification, too. Once you have completed this final tier, you’ll be all set to use ASL in all manner of situations!

Workshops 

Deaf Culture Workshop
Finger Spelling Workshop

ASL Courses NYC

Once you’ve chosen an American Sign Language course that perfectly fits your needs, please check out our ASL course schedule to find what times we are running that particular course- you’re sure to find a time that’s just right for you. Once that’s done, just enroll for our ASL course by calling our office directly, or using our online enrollment form. We use an internal skills assessment, conducted by our site training coordinator, to ensure that students are placed in classes with others of a similar skill level- results have shown that this is the very best way to make progress and take as much as possible from the course itself.

Each course lasts six weeks, and covers a range of topics aimed at getting you comfortable and confident in using ASL in a variety of different contexts. There’s no assumption that you have completed the previous courses, so if you already have some basic knowledge of ASL, feel free to jump in with a course that you feel comfortable with.

So, if you’re ready to start learning American Sign Language, or want to build on your existing skills, then Sign Language Classes NYC is the perfect choice for you- just take a look at what we have to offer!