The Chicago Area Interpreter Referral Service (CAIRS) is pleased to announce implementation of American Sign Language (ASL) courses beginning March 2011. Since ASL is the primary language of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities in the United States and Canada, hearing individuals desiring to learn sign language and attain familiarity about the Deaf and Hard of Hearing culture, should find these new courses helpful.

All sign language courses with be held for a period of six weeks, two hours each week. Initially, only the Level One course will be offered on Thursday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, at 17 North State Street, Suite 1650, Chicago, Illinois. Course size will be limited to a maximum of ten students to ensure high quality individual attention and training effectiveness. The total fee for each participant will be $115.00. All utilized learning materials will be provided at no extra charge. Course instructors will be native ASL speakers who possess substantial teaching experience, with a concentration in teaching first-time ASL learners.

The ASL Level One Course is designed to provide a comprehensive topic introduction. Through this introductory course, students will learn "The ABCS," vocabulary, non-manual behaviors and grammatical features. Students will develop competency in both expressive and receptive skills through topic discussion such as exchanging personal information, talking about surroundings, residences, families and activities. Completion of the ASL Level One Course is required for Level Two Course eligibility.

The ASL Level Two Course will focus on the continued development of conversational fluency in ASL. Course curriculum will include expanded instruction in finger spelling, vocabulary, and grammatical structures. In addition, instruction will also include the use of classifiers, signing space in ASL, giving directions, physical characters, making requests, discussions of occupations, daily routines, etc

The upcoming Level One course will be taught by Scott Mosley, a native speaker of ASL. Mr. Mosley attended Gallaudet University and has substantial experience in ASL instruction. Presently, Mr. Mosley is a member of CAIRS' team as an interpreter-services coordinator and serves as an ASL language mentor with the Interpreter Training Program (ITP) at Columbia College, Chicago, Illinois. Individuals seeking additional information or interested in course enrollment, should contact Mr. Mosley via e-mail at scott@cairs.net or by video phone at (866) 401-0923.

IMPORTANT: NO FINAL CLASS DATES CAN BE SELECTED UNTIL A MINIMUM OF FIVE PARTICIPANTS HAVE COMPLETELY REGISTERED

Individuals who are seriously interested in enrolling should complete the registration form with personal check and mail to:

• CAIRS
  ATTN: Shawn Flynn
  17 N. State Street, Suite 1650
  Chicago, Illinois, 60602