MTSU Offering American Sign Language Course

MTSU's Center for Accelerated Language Acquisition (CALA) again invites the public to register now for an upcoming introductory course to American Sign Language.

CALA, the language training partner of the University Honors College, will help ASL course participants learn sign language "naturally through games and other fun hands-on activities dealing with greetings, numbers, colors, body parts, the alphabet and elements of basic, everyday conversation."

American Sign Language (ASL) Part 1 will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays for seven weeks, beginning Jan. 22 and running through March 4, in Room 106 of the Paul W. Martin Honors Building.

Cost is $145 for the general public, $130 for MTSU faculty/staff/alumni, and $110 for MTSU and high school students. To register, go to http://bit.ly/asl-cala.

CALA's sign language course has continued to draw interest since being launched in late 2018. The course utilizes CALA's teaching method of Total Physical Response, which is an instruction process that engages students in storytelling to help them absorb the language. The instructor and students interact with the new vocabulary through hands-on activities.

Instructor Haley Jensen, owner of the ASL instruction company "Voice Off" who has been trained in Total Physical Response, says students will learn the alphabet, numbers, body parts, clothes, colors, places in the house, feelings, greetings, and several other high-frequency words and phrases.

She adds that ASL learners will become more aware of facial expressions and emotions because they won't be able to rely on vocal inflection to communicate.

For more information, email acceleratedacquisition@gmail.com.