How to Learn ASL in DC

September 23, 2009 12:03 PM

What's a good way to learn ASL in Washington, DC? I'm aware of Gallaudet, but it looks as if I've missed the fall enrollment deadline for classes. I can enroll in the springtime, of course, but in the meantime, I'd like to start learning how to converse with the deaf community in DC.

I should point out that I have a 9-5 job outside of the city, so my options are limited to home study and evening/weekend instruction. My motivation for wanting to learn ASL (and start sooner rather than later) is because I've been half-deaf since early childhood, and my hearing in my remaining ear has inexplicably diminished throughout my adult life to the point that I now (at 31) wear a hearing aid and have significant problems when holding conversation in noisy/crowded environments.

So, where's the best place to start? Thanks everyone!

posted by gyges to Education (11 answers total)

Best answer: USDA Grad School
posted by Pollomacho at 12:11 PM on September 23, 2009

Best answer: There are no class sessions currently scheduled

Duh, sorry.
posted by Pollomacho at 12:13 PM on September 23, 2009

Best answer: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library at 9th and G offers ASL classes. Looks like their website isn't up to date (it's still listing summer classes), but you might want to give them a call.
posted by amarynth at 12:15 PM on September 23, 2009

Best answer: You might consider putting up an ad at Gallaudet looking for a private tutor. As I learned at Rochester Institute of Technology, home of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, not all deaf students come to college knowing ASL and there is often a scramble to get them up to speed. Probably not cheap, but if nothing else is available until Spring semester it could be worth it if you want to get started now.
posted by tommasz at 12:30 PM on September 23, 2009

Best answer: here's a dictionary
and another
neither of which will teach you proper grammar, or prevent you from teaching yourself incorrectly, but will supplement your studies.

Most classes I know of are geared either toward small children or people wishing to be translators. Check your local community college/technical school for possible night classes. Otherwise you will likely have to find a tutor.
posted by Acari at 12:55 PM on September 23, 2009 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Northern Virginia Community College offers ASL classes at their Annandale campus, which is actually just outside the beltway on Little River (it's not in DC, but it might work with your work?). Classes began August 24th, so you're a bit late for the normal schedule, but they do have sections of ASL I and ASL II that began September 12. Sadly, they only have a 9:30AM time. But might be worth keeping in mind for the Spring semester, since it seems in general they offer some night sections of ASL.

Other community colleges probably offer ASL classes, but I knew that NVCC did.
posted by skynxnex at 1:27 PM on September 23, 2009

Best answer: Catholic was offering these classes for a while. I can't find them on the website, but their website and search engine are both pretty terrible so that doesn't necessarily mean anything. I would give the registrar a call tomorrow (would have called myself but they are closed for the evening). As I recall, they aren't necessarily part of any formal program, so you might have to do a bit of digging through the university bureaucracy to find them if they do in fact still offer them. I also recall that they were offered at night.

http://www.cua.edu/

I have some friends who took them. I'll try to ask them if they were satisfied with the teaching, etc.
posted by MidAtlantic at 4:27 PM on September 23, 2009

Best answer: Awesome! These are all great suggestions and off the beaten path of Google search results. I will investigate and see what's available after the start of the fall start to the academic semester, although I think I may have to hire a tutor if I want to make short-term gains. I'll definitely check with the different colleges and libraries mentioned so far.

This is my first Ask Metafilter question, by the way. Thanks all for helping out where many of my offline friends could not :)
posted by gyges at 4:54 PM on September 23, 2009

Best answer: If you're willing to wait until the spring semester and your outside-the-city job is in Maryland, you might want to add Montgomery College in Rockville to the list of places to check out. They have programs for a couple of different degrees and certificates in ASL, so they offer Conversational ASL I through III as well as a couple of structural and semantics classes.
posted by amarynth at 7:44 PM on September 23, 2009

Best answer: Professional sign language interpreter here. Classes are good, take classes. But find Deaf social events in your area and start going right now, no matter your skill level. Learn how to say something like "I've been half-deaf since early childhood, and my hearing in my remaining ear has inexplicably diminished throughout my adult life to the point that I now (at 31) wear a hearing aid and have significant problems when holding conversation in noisy/crowded environments" (perhaps start with 'I'm late deaf, learning sign') and that's all you need to know to get in the door. Plenty of people will snub you, a few won't and the rest is up to you. Then take classes as you can. But start hanging out with Deaf / HH people now, right now.
posted by eccnineten at 9:27 PM on September 23, 2009 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Just an update for whomever might be following this - I ended up biting the bullet and took two weeks off from work to go to one of Gallaudet's intensive summer sessions for ASL 1. It was well worth the sacrifice - I learned much more than I might have on my own, had constant, daily interaction with signers inside and outside of class, and made several friends with both students and faculty. I highly recommend it if you just want to jump in and experience a real crash course in the subject, although it's only equivalent to a college semester of basic ASL. After this, I'll continue to go to Deaf events and probably hire a tutor to work on improving my skills until I have another opportunity to take a class at Gallaudet. Thanks all!
posted by gyges at 4:33 AM on July 17, 2010 [2 favorites]