American Sign Language

American Sign Language (ASL) is the language used by Deaf people in the United States and Canada. ASL is a visual language with its own unique rules of grammar and syntax, different than English.  It is estimated that 500,000 people use ASL in the US and it has grown in popularity becoming  the 3rd most commonly studied language.  ASL is part of a rich culture within the Deaf community and is used to share history, humor, visual arts and more.

Please email bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Baby Signs for Families

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 2023

This fall we have partnered with Deschutes Public Library to offer Baby Signs Workshops in Bend and Redmond on Saturday, September 30th. If you are interested in signing up for a workshop, please go through the Deschutes Public Library Calendar page and scroll to September 30th to register.

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

Introductory American Sign Language I

Introductory ASL will focus on everyday communication including topics like family, relationships, activities, work, mealtime, feelings, animals, home life and more.  We will explore how ASL is not merely “English words on our hands” as well as how important the correct use of facial expressions are and how to use the space around you in storytelling.

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.

American Sign Language II

In ASL II we will continue to strengthen our conversation skills learned in our introductory course. We will practice conversing about family and friends, clothing, food, school/work, daily routines and getting around town. The goal of this course is to hold basic conversations about everyday experiences.

Sessions – Fall 2023

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.

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

American Sign Language 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.

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