American Sign Language

American Sign Language (ASL) is the third most studied language in the United States. Almost half a million people use ASL to communicate as their native language and many others learn it as a second language. ASL is understood by seeing with all information through visual facial expressions, hands, and body movements.  It also has its own grammatical structure by using visual communication. In addition, ASL reveals a rich deaf culture and deaf history in the United States, while offering a fun, interactive way of learning.  These features make ASL an exciting language to learn and use in everyday conversations among with deaf and hearing people.

American Sign Language Courses 2024-2025

Fall 2024

ASL I Mondays/Wednesdays 3-4pm from September 30 – November 20

ASL II Mondays/Wednesdays 4:30-5:30pm from September 30 – November 20

Winter 2025

ASL I Mondays/Wednesdays 4:30-5:30pm from January 6 – February 27

ASL II Mondays/Wednesdays 3-4pm January 6 – February 27

Spring 2025

ASL I Mondays/Wednesdays 3-4pm from April 7 – June 2 (no class on Memorial Day May 26)

ASL II Mondays/Wednesdays 4:30-5:30pm April 7 – June 2 (no class on Memorial Day May 26)

Please scroll below to see courses that are open for registration. On a desktop computer you can click on the tabs on the left for detailed descriptions of each course. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us at bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com or 541-728-3022. 

Introductory American Sign Language I

Introductory ASL will focus on basic everyday conversation including a few topics such as family, relationships, activities, work, feeling, animals, home life and more.  We will also introduce our Deaf Culture including values and sets of certain behaviors.  We will explore how ASL is not merely “English words on our hands” but rather to demonstrate our facial expressions as well as body movements that convey the meanings of the concepts as a language.

Sessions – Fall 2024

This course will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-4pm from September 30 – November 20 at our institute. The class will be limited to 10 students to allow for ample opportunity for one-on-one language practice. This course is designed for adults and youth ages 13 and older.

If you have any questions, please email bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com or call us at 541-728-3022 and we would be happy to help!

American Sign Language II

This course is designed for you to continue to develop American Sign Language (ASL) skills through everyday vocabularies and phrases.  You will develop your understanding of ASL’s in-depth grammatical rules including verbs/nouns, hand classifiers, spatial referencing, and pluralizations.  Plus, you will learn routine communicative functions of the language: describing about community and locations, giving, asking for directions and travel with ASL and more. Additional information about the Deaf Community and Deaf Culture will be introduced through history, idioms, slangs and jokes.

Sessions – Fall 2024

ASL II will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:30-5:30 from September 30 – November 20 at our institute. The class is limited to 10 people so be sure to sign up in advance. Please contact us at bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com or call us at 541-728-3022 and we would be happy to help.

Baby Signs for Caregivers

Learn basic ASL signs with your baby!  Signing gives you and your baby tools to communicate basic needs, feelings and more. When babies are able to communicate, they experience less frustration.  Signing encourages language development and if continued can help foster bilingualism. Some of the topics we will learn about are feelings, family members, playtime, and food. This course is designed for parents and children ages 6 months to 2 years.

Sessions – Fall 2024

Baby Signs for Caregivers will be offered again in Fall 2024. Please check back for future updates. If you have any questions, please email bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com or call us at 541-728-3022 and we would be happy to help!

ASL for Kids

ASL for Kids will help your children learn the basics of American Sign Language in an interactive and fun environment. Kids will learn how to communicate about family, animals, activities, feelings and more. We will develop our language skills through games and storytelling. This class is designed for students ages 8-12 with limited exposure to ASL.

Sessions

We do not have any sessions currently scheduled for this course. Please check back for future updates! If you have any questions, please email bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com or call us at 541-728-3022 and we would be happy to help.

Current American Sign Language Courses, Tutoring and Events

MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Meg Rozek
Meg RozekInstructor —ASL
Hello! I fell in love with ASL in high school when I took a class at the community college, it just felt natural to my hands and eyes. My interpreter training program placed me as a volunteer at the Washington State School for the Deaf. I immediately knew that I was meant to work at the school and convinced them to hire me as a 22 year old. Most recently here in Bend, I spent 10 years teaching ASL to grades 6-12 at a local charter school. I enjoy meeting up with other ASL users in our small but growing community. I am a certified doula and I hope to serve members of the Deaf community as their doula.
Monica Burdsall
Monica Burdsall Instructor —ASL
I was born Deaf and I am elated to be Deaf. It is an invisible disability where I am fully functional like everyone else, except I cannot hear. I was raised orally and
later learned Signed Exact English through mainstream public schools. Then, I graduated from Gallaudet University, the only liberal arts university for the deaf in the world. I am a former elementary teacher that taught deaf students at Indiana School for the Deaf and at the Colorado School for the Deaf. Since my family moved to Bend 23 years ago, I have taught ASL at Bend High School and Ridgeview High School, as well as at COCC. Now, I teach ASL to Bend Immersion Preschool students and staff, as well as Bend Language Institute. I enjoy living in both deaf and hearing worlds and interacting through both languages.

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