Ivy Tech now offering more American Sign Language courses, no wait list

BLOOMINGTON – Ivy Tech Community College’s Bloomington campus is now offering more American Sign Language courses, the full sequence from levels 1-4. Students can sign up to take ASL courses that begin on Jan. 14 and there is no wait list to begin.

“Many Ivy Tech students sign up to take ASL courses to be able to communicate with friends or family members, and even babies and toddlers,” said Amber Celestin, associate professor of English and chair of student success and foreign languages. “We also have deaf students who take the course to further their own vocabulary and knowledge.”

ASL can also be useful for public services, including medical professionals, teachers, law enforcement officials, child care workers, Peace Corps, servers, and various other career fields. Students can take ASL courses at Ivy Tech in order to pursue careers in ASL related fields, such as Deaf Education and ASL interpreting.

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, ASL is the primary language of many North Americans who are deaf and is one of several communication options used by people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.

Students can sign up for ASL courses by contacting their academic advisors. Others can call (812) 330-6013, email bl-info@ivytech.edu, or visit campus on the west side at 200 Daniels Way.