American Sign Language
Taught by Michelle Santarpia
Michelle is an American Sign Language Interpreter and Instructor who has a passion for the language and Deaf Culture since learning about it 2002. She was inspired to teach this class by all the people she has met and told her “Oh you know Sign Language? I’ve always wanted to learn that...” Find Michelle on Twitter: @SignAndTheCity.
Learn how to communicate without words!
This class will focus on basic conversational American Sign Language vocabulary and discussions about Deaf culture and community. We will learn conversational signs, NYC-based signs, finger spelling, what an “accent” looks like and how to communicate using our hands, bodies, and facial expressions. Did you know that signing without facial expressions is like talking in a monotone voice?
We will learn why American Sign Language is different than English and how Deaf Culture affects how this constantly evolving “living language”. Learn how to express yourself with pictures instead of sentences and how much fluff there really is in the English language.
Each class will build on a previous lesson so that at the end of the four weeks you will be able to spell words, have basic social conversations and create your own sign name (a nickname in Deaf culture).
Come ready to move your hands and bodies!