A free class teaching conversational Sign Language for beginning and intermediate signers will be offered to the Chattanooga region by Say It In Sign. For many who cannot easily communicate with a loved one who is deaf or has a hearing loss, this 12-week class meets a unique need, especially with the present economic conditions. Insurance generally does not pay for Sign Language classes if a family has a child born deaf or a family member suddenly losses their hearing due to an accident or disease.
“I am 10 years into Meniere's disease that causes hearing loss. I really appreciate the sign language class that was provided for me to improve my signing skills I am so thankful for the class and the teachers. It was lots of fun.” said Crystal Ann Day of Ft. Oglethorpe, GA.
The class will cover the basics of sign language including the alphabet, numbers, colors, days of the week, introductions, relationships, names, etc. It will also cover other concepts such as nouns, verbs, number incorporations, directional verbs, classifiers, etc., and will introduce students to Deaf culture & etiquette. This class is designed to benefit both beginning signers with no prior experience, as well as those with some knowledge who wish to sharpen and develop their skills. It is open to the public and everyone is invited. Children are welcome, but must be supervised.
Say It In Sign offers this class twice yearly. The fall semester will run Sept. 6-Nov. 22. It will meet each Tuesday from 6:30—8:30 p.m. at Metropolitan Tabernacle. “In today’s society, learning a second language is becoming ever more important. We offer this class free of charge to the community to help people communicate better and to share our love of this beautiful language.” said Angel Miller, director of Say It In Sign.