SAN ANGELO, Texas — For many deaf and hard of hearing individuals, utilizing American Sign Language is often a way of life.
Even for those who are hearing, it can be important to learn ASL to better communicate with the general population.
Starting March 23, a beginner ASL course is being offered in San Angelo for $125 with all materials included.
The two-month long class has been organized by Hands Up Interpreting and Consulting, LLC along with Apostolic House of Worship, and it will be held at 1202 Preusser Street.
"The beginner classes are for people who are getting their feet wet in ASL, they're not really sure if they wanna continue or not." Hands Up owner/CEO Breanna Wood said.
"The community classes are more for people who are unsure of it. They kind of wanna test it out and see if they are interested," she added.
The course will include basic concepts such as colors and numbers as well as questions like "Where are you from?"
To start out, students will learn how to finger spell the alphabet and by the end, they should know how to hold straightforward conversations.
"We always start at the beginning," Wood said. "Finger spelling, usually the ABC's is the first thing we teach...we always say it's the first thing you learn and the last thing you master."
In San Angelo alone, there are approximately 50-100 people who are deaf and Wood says there are multiple benefits to learning sign language.
For example, those who know ASL are able to talk across the room, keep their brains active, become bilingual, etc.
For parents or guardians with babies or young children, sign language can also be an easy way to teach communication early-on.
"It's very beneficial to know that second language. It actually opens up neural pathways in your brain, it actually creates more connections. It allows you to learn more," Wood said.
After all, people young and old can lose their hearing at any time in their lives and knowing ASL can ultimately create an ease of communication.
