ASL Education  

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American Sign Language Education

This program includes a five-course sequence focusing on communication with Deaf individuals. Using the Vista Signing Naturally Curriculum, you will learn to improve your receptive and expressive ASL and fingerspelling skills. You will also acquire sign vocabulary, learn about Deaf Culture, and practice ASL grammar, including structure development and related facial/gestural expressions and conversational behaviors. In addition, you will have access to a state-of-the-art ASL Language Lab.

You will also have an opportunity to enhance your skills in four different ASL workshops; continue your learning in Intensive Study in ASL Levels II - IV; progress into a pre-interpreting program by taking Advanced ASL Levels I and II; and ultimately enroll in a two-year ASL/English Interpretation Program at LaGuardia. Visit www.lagcc.cuny.edu/asl for more information.

If you have started your sign language education elsewhere, you will be screened for appropriate level placement. Please make an appointment with Yakov Shifrin.

For registration information, visit the How to Register page. To find out about the start and end dates of these quarterly classes, download our brochure. Please note that all course information is subject to change.

Introduction to American Sign Language

Interested in learning American Sign Language? Find out how to become a fluent communicator or make a career from your ASL skills as a signer. This free introductory workshop includes a visit to the state-of-the-art ASL Language Lab! If you are registering for ASL classes in the Program for Deaf Adults, it is strongly recommended that you attend this workshop, which introduces our teaching philosophy of ASL and Deaf Culture. No need to register.

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American Sign Language, Levels 1- 5, Saturday Section

Classes meet on Saturdays during fall, winter and spring quarters; on Mondays and Wednesdays during summer quarter only.

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American Sign Language, Levels 1 & 2 only, Wednesday Section

ASL Levels 1 and 2 classes only meet on Wednesdays during fall, winter and spring quarters.

ASL Workshops

ASL Fingerspelling/ A16PEN101
American Sign Language (ASL) students will further develop their expressive and receptive skills in fingerspelling, improve their fluency, recognize different fingerspelling styles, and learn valuable clues in understanding fingerspelling. Pre-requisite: minimum of ASL Level 2 skill (equivalent of 6 months or more).

ASL Classifiers & Facial Expressions/ A16PEN103
American Sign Language (ASL) students will further learn how to produce handshapes coupled with appropriate facial expressions to give clear and defining adjectives, engage in receptive and expressive exercises, and attain a deeper understanding of the proper use of classifiers. Pre-requisite: minimum of ASL Level 2 skill (equivalent of 6 months or more).

ASL Storytelling/ A16PEN102
American Sign Language (ASL) students will incorporate their knowledge of Facial Expressions, Handshape and Classifier and integrate them into various narrative forms of storytelling: 1st, 2nd, and 3 rd person narrative. The workshop will emphasize on dialogue and body shifting, serious to comedic topics, simple to complex stories, and knowing how to tailor a story to a particular audience. Pre-requisite: minimum of ASL Level 3 skills (equivalent of one year or more).

Deaf Way/ A16PEN104
Become more familiar with the linguistic and social behaviors used in the Deaf community and begin to understand some of the differences in values and behaviors between the Deaf and hearing worlds. You will learn to appreciate the stories related to the social customs in Deaf culture. Pre-requisite: minimum of ASL Level 3 skills (equivalent of one year or more).

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Required textbook and videotape for all ASL Levels 1-4 classes- VISTA: Signing Naturally Level 1 Student Videotext & Workbook by Smith-Lentz-Mikos. They can be purchased at this link: DawnSignPress or the College's Barnes & Nobles stores.

Required textbook and videotape for the ASL Level 5 class only-
VISTA: Signing Naturally Level 2 Student Videotext & Workbook by Smith-Lentz-Mikos. They can be purchased at this link: DawnSignPress or the College's Barnes & Nobles stores.

Recomended Materials:
1. Random House Webster's ASL Dictionary by E. Costello, L. I. Tom and P. M. Setzer
2. "The Complete Idiot's to Conversational Sign Language" by C. Lazorisal and D. Donohue

You will have access to the state-of-the-art ASL Language Lab as part of the your classroom activities. You are expected to bring your own blank videotapes or DVDs.

Intensive Study in American Sign Language

This program’s three courses, including in-class and lab components, are offered jointly with the college’s Division of Human Services. These courses are designed for you if you wish to make rapid progress in developing ASL skills and to expand your multicultural sign vocabulary, but do not wish to earn academic credit. You will have access to LaGuardia’s state-of-the-art ASL Language Lab. Classes cost $310 including a $10 registration fee.

All continuing education students are required to be assessed through an intensive screening (fee is $50, which is nonrefundable and must be paid in advance). Contact Amanda: (718) 482-5324 or AmandaP@lagcc.cuny.edu for an ASL screening appointment.

Note: If you wish to earn academic credit for these courses, you must be admitted to the college for the fall or spring semester and are not required to be intensively screened. For more information, please contact Ileana Garcia-Rodriguez, Program Director, Division of Human Services, Rm C-252, at (718) 482-2051 or irodriguez@lagcc.cuny.edu, or visit www.lagcc.cuny.edu/nas/nas2h.htm.

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Interpreter Education Projects

Download American Sign Language Fingerspelling and Numbers.


For more info, contact: Yakov Shifrin at YShifrin@lagcc.cuny.edu or (718)482-5353 TTY/Sorenson VP/IP: 199.219.146.19
Amanda Polania at AmandaP@lagcc.cuny.edu or (718)482-5324 Voice