The aim of this course is to introduce learners to the basics of American Sign Language and the history and culture of the deaf community in North America.
There is an emphasis on building vocabulary relating to a wide range of topics, including fingerspelling, eating and drinking, transport, directions, holiday, family, hobbies and interests, work and school.
The course is delivered fully online through Zoom. Your teacher will use a variety of teaching and learning methods to cater for all learning styles and to meet the needs of all learners. The course is designed to be fun, engaging and meaningful and will give you the opportunity to practise your productive and receptive skills by means of group work, pair work, role-plays, games, presentations and discussions.
The course is designed for people who are already fluent in one other signed language, e.g. BSL, and would like to learn a second signed language. This course is not suitable for people who are learning a signed language for the first time (please see our Level 1 BSL course).
Assessments
There are no assessments for this course.
Entry Requirements
You must already be fluent in a signed language (e.g. at least Level 3 BSL) but you do not need any formal qualifications.
Progression
Learning a second signed language can bring great benefits to widening your understanding and exposure to deaf communities around the world, facilitate international travel and networking and learning more about the grammar and etymology of signed languages.
If you are a professional sign language interpreter, learning a second signed language may help you to develop your non-manual features, vocabulary, productive lexicon and receptive skills.
After you complete this course, you can progress on to an intermediate-level American Sign Language course.
