American Sign Language (ASL) Class B

Jan 13, 2020 - Jan 14, 2020

6:00 to 9:30 p.m., Monday to Friday in the first floor meeting room at Ionkwakiohkwaróron. There are 5 seats available for community members to attend. Please reserve your spot by January 9th. A light dinner will be provided. If you’re interested in attending, please contact Doug Hamilton at Douglas.Hamilton@srmt-nsn.gov or at (518)358-9481.

In these classes, students will learn the manual alphabet, all the handshapes of the language, numbers, colors, animals, food and drink, verbs, family signs, feelings, professions, telling time, and other key vocabulary. They will be able to successfully have a conversation of 20 minutes or so in full ASL. Students will also learn about the history of the language and the people who use it, about the oppression of the language and the mistreatment of deaf over the years and the revival of the language about 50 years ago.

For these classes we welcome in ASL Instructor Manual Martin. He began learning ASL in 1984 when he and his wife accepted a deaf foster son. He continued on to fluency. In 1992, he became a sports interpreter and later interpreted in business and education. In 1998, he interpreted for president Clinton in his address on education in Worcester, MA. He has also interpreted for senators, attorney generals, superintendents and kindergartners.

As a teacher, he started his professional career in 1994 and developed his own curriculum which is now used at several colleges and schools. Manual was the program director for ASL at RI School for the Deaf before he established his own school, ASL Academy, in 2008. He conducts workshops, trainings and Institutes in various locations and settings.

His curriculum is specifically designed for the hearing learner who will take ASL as a second language. It is unique and has had more than two decades of success. Many students using this curriculum in classes have gone on to become fluent and work as teachers of the deaf, interpreters, and in other fields.

For more information, please contact the Family Support Program at (518)358-9481.