For more than 20 years, Speak! Language Center has helped people connect through language. Now, we’re expanding what it means to Speak!
We’re excited to introduce American Sign Language (ASL) to our language programs, with personalized, live online instruction for adults, teens, children, families, friends, colleagues, and organizations.
Whether you’re completely new to ASL, have learned some signs before, want to communicate with a Deaf family member or friend, need ASL for work or school, or have simply always wanted to learn, we’ll meet you where you are and build from there.
ASL Is a Language to Be Used
At Speak!, we’ve always believed that the best way to learn a language is to use it. Our ASL program follows that same philosophy.
From your first lessons, you’ll be immersed in ASL through signs, fingerspelling, facial expressions, gestures, and visual communication. Rather than simply memorizing vocabulary, you’ll learn to understand and communicate naturally while developing practical skills you can use in real conversations.
And because learning ASL is about more than learning signs, lessons also introduce students to Deaf culture, history, community, and communication practices.
Meet Our ASL Instructor: Erica T. L. Parker
We’re delighted to welcome Erica T. L. Parker, a Deaf educator and native ASL signer from a third-generation Deaf family.
Erica brings nearly 20 years of experience teaching and tutoring ASL, both online and in person. She has taught at the middle school, high school, community college, and university levels, as well as through private instruction. Her students have included children, teens, adults, interpreters, and hearing parents of Deaf children.
Erica holds a bachelor’s degree in ASL and Deaf Studies from Gallaudet University and a master’s degree in ASL and English Bilingual Education from the University of California, San Diego, where her thesis focused on ASL literature.
Her teaching brings together language, Deaf culture, Deaf history, storytelling, and meaningful conversation. Most importantly, she adapts her instruction to each student’s interests, experience, needs, and goals.
Choose the ASL Learning Format That Works for You
Speak! currently offers live online ASL lessons via Zoom, making it easy to learn from home, work, school, or wherever you happen to be.
Choose from:
Private ASL Lessons
Work one-to-one with your instructor for the most personalized learning experience. Lessons are built entirely around your goals, interests, experience, and pace.
Semi-Private ASL Lessons
Learn with someone you know. Semi-private lessons are ideal for two family members, friends, partners, or colleagues who want to learn ASL together while still receiving personalized instruction.
Custom Group ASL Classes
Already have a group that wants to learn together? Speak! can create a private ASL class for your family, friends, workplace, school, or organization and tailor the instruction to your group’s needs.
We may offer Speak! Group Classes soon that anyone can join, so stay-tuned!
What Can You Learn in 5, 10, 20, or 30 Hours?
Every learner is different, so we don’t believe in promising that a particular number of hours will magically produce a particular “level.” Your progress depends on your previous experience, goals, learning format, pace, and practice between lessons.
But for someone beginning ASL, here’s an example of how the journey might unfold:
5 Hours: Get Started
Begin communicating visually through gestures, fingerspelling, and basic signs. Explore questions, facial expressions, and essential Deaf cultural practices.
10 Hours: Build a Foundation
Expand everyday communication through topics such as family, jobs, hobbies, places, and directions while continuing to develop fingerspelling, facial expressions, and foundational ASL grammar.
20 Hours: Build Your Skills
Develop conversational ability through dialogues and interactive practice, begin understanding and retelling short ASL stories, and explore techniques such as role shift.
30 Hours: Go Further
Explore classifiers, ASL literature and storytelling, and practice sharing experiences and memories while bringing together vocabulary, grammar, facial expressions, and increasingly sophisticated visual communication.
Already know ASL? You won’t have to start at the beginning. Your instructor will assess where you are and build your lessons from there.
ASL Classes for Work, Family, Travel Through Life, and Everything in Between
People come to language learning for wonderfully different reasons.
You might want to communicate with a Deaf colleague, student, customer, friend, or family member. You might be preparing for a career in education, healthcare, interpreting, or another field. You may be a parent who wants to learn alongside your child. Or perhaps ASL is simply a language you’ve been curious about for years.
Those different motivations are exactly why Speak! specializes in personalized language instruction rather than one-size-fits-all courses.
Our job isn’t simply to teach you a predetermined list of signs. It’s to help you communicate.
ASL FOR CHILDREN
Kids from 7 up can learn ASL with Speak! either individually, with a sibling or parent or as part of a custom group.
Ready to Start Learning ASL?
Speak! Language Center is based in Charlottesville, Virginia, and our live online ASL classes are available to learners wherever they are.
Explore our American Sign Language program, meet Erica, see current lesson options and pricing, and tell us what you’d like to accomplish:
[Explore ASL Classes at Speak! →]
Because connection through conversation doesn’t always require a voice.
