ASL 1 Beginner — Teens (Ages 13–18) · 24-Week Course
$15 per class or $360 for all 24 classes
This 24-week beginner ASL course helps teens build practical expressive and receptive communication skills in a supportive live online setting. Each 30-minute class combines teacher modeling, PowerPoint instruction, guided signing practice, games, video examples, partner conversation, and visual comprehension activities. Learners study the ASL alphabet, fingerspelling, numbers, introductions, family, school, hobbies, routines, food, feelings, questions, classifiers, Deaf culture, and storytelling.
Students will complete two signed-story projects. They will plan a short visual story, practice key vocabulary and transitions, and sign part or all of the story. Learners may present during class; if they prefer not to perform live, they may complete the signing portion as homework. Feedback focuses on clarity, handshape, movement, location, facial expressions, pacing, and confidence.
My teaching style is encouraging, structured, visual, and interactive. Students are invited to ask questions, practice with classmates, and learn through real-world scenarios. No previous ASL experience is required.
What Your Learner Will Do
- Students will recognize and produce foundational ASL vocabulary, alphabet handshapes, numbers, and common conversational phrases.
- Students will use appropriate facial expressions, visual attention, signing space, and basic ASL sentence structure in short conversations.
- Students will plan, rehearse, and present signed stories using clear sequencing, transitions, classifiers, and expressive communication.
Prerequisites: No previous ASL experience is required. Learners need a device with a camera, reliable internet, and space for their face, hands, and upper body to remain visible.
Syllabus
24 Lessons · over 24 Weeks
Week 1: ASL Foundations and Visual Communication
Learn signing-space basics, visual attention, respectful ways to get attention, and how expressive and receptive ASL skills work together.
Week 2: Alphabet Handshapes A–J
Practice accurate handshapes for A–J and build speed through recognition drills, partner practice, and short fingerspelling games.
Week 3: Alphabet Handshapes K–R
Learn K–R, compare commonly confused letters, and practice reading and producing short letter combinations.
Week 4: Alphabet Handshapes S–Z and Fingerspelling
Complete the alphabet, fingerspell names and familiar words, and use repetition and pacing strategies for clarity.
Week 5: Numbers, Ages, Dates, and Time
Learn numbers, ages, dates, clock time, and basic number incorporation through real-life conversation practice.
Week 6: Greetings and Introductions
Sign greetings, names, pronouns, and basic personal information while practicing appropriate facial expressions and eye contact.
Week 7: People, Family, and Relationships
Build vocabulary for family, friends, relationships, and descriptions, then introduce important people using short ASL phrases.
Week 8: School, Classes, and Learning
Discuss school subjects, schedules, teachers, assignments, and preferences through signed question-and-answer practice.
Week 9: Hobbies, Sports, and Interests
Learn signs for hobbies, sports, music, art, games, and interests and hold a short conversation about favorite activities.
Week 10: Daily Routines and Time Sequencing
Describe a typical day using time signs, routine vocabulary, sequencing, and clear transitions.
Week 11: Food, Drinks, and Ordering
Practice food and drink vocabulary, likes and dislikes, requests, and a role-play ordering conversation.
Week 12: Places, Transportation, and Directions
Learn common places, transportation signs, location concepts, and simple directional phrases.
Week 13: Feelings, Opinions, and Nonmanual Markers
Use facial grammar and body language to communicate feelings, intensity, agreement, disagreement, and personal opinions.
Week 14: Questions and Conversation Strategies
Practice WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, and HOW questions plus clarification and repair strategies for conversations.
Week 15: Introduction to Classifiers
Explore basic ASL classifiers for people, objects, movement, size, and location through guided visual descriptions.
Week 16: Signed Storytelling: Structure and Expression
Study story beginnings, settings, characters, sequencing, role shift, facial expression, and visual details.
Week 17: Story Project 1: Planning and Rehearsal
Plan a short signed story, choose vocabulary, organize the sequence, and rehearse with teacher or peer feedback.
Week 18: Story Project 1: Presentation or Homework Option
Present a signed story in class or complete the signing portion for homework; receive feedback on clarity, expression, and pacing.
Week 19: Deaf Culture, Community, and Respect
Week 20: Technology, Media, and Online Communication
Discuss phones, apps, social media, entertainment, and safe online communication using teen-relevant vocabulary.
Week 21: Narrative Sequencing and Role Shift
Strengthen storytelling with transitions, perspective changes, role shift, classifiers, and spatial organization.
Week 22: Story Project 2: Script and Vocabulary Development
Develop a longer signed story, refine vocabulary choices, map characters and locations, and create a rehearsal plan.
Week 23: Story Project 2: Rehearsal and Peer Feedback
Rehearse the final story, give and receive supportive feedback, and revise handshapes, movement, expression, and pacing.
Week 24: Final Story Performance, Review, and Celebration
Present the final story in class or submit it as homework, review key course skills, and celebrate progress in ASL 1.