by I am pleased to announce — after 10 years in the making and 20 years in the thinking — Janna and I have completed our Hardcore ASL online learning program!
You now have seven — YES, SEVEN! — levels of American Sign Language you can now learn online with us.
We offer four unique angles for teaching you ASL online.
1. 350 videos across Levels 1-7
2. Online Learning Portal access for discussion and assignments
3. One-on-One teaching compressed into 3 week courses
4. Our “Picture Yourself Learning American Sign Language” textbook and DVD
The price of our textbook is not included in the cost of the courses. We use our textbook and DVD extensively across all Hardcore ASL course levels.
We don’t just sell you video access and let you learn on your own. In fact — if you buy our courses and just watch the videos — you will not really understand the how or the why of what you are viewing unless you plan to just mirror the movements instead of purely understanding ASL as a foreign language on a core level.
By using our Online Learning Portal, you will be immersed in ASL and in Deaf Culture and we will teach you how to enjoy, and understand, what you need to learn from our teaching videos.
Because we are offering these American Sign Language classes online — and because you set your own learning goals and agenda — you can take these courses without worrying about being in class at a certain time or place.
We shot all the ASL videos in 1080i HD — so even though they are compressed to stream on the web — the quality and perfection of the videos is unparalleled.
Our goal was to replicate online the sort of intensive ASL teaching strategy we use in the traditional classroom and finally time, technology, and the tide of urgency pressed us into getting our long-awaited Hardcore ASL program online and functioning.
All classes are private and they are available now and you can sign up online! There’s no need to wait for a class to fill because you alone are the entire class!
It was tough, but we got it done. It all looks pretty good, too!
Janna —
It was a huge project for two people, but we worked together and got ‘er done! Yay!
We have even more to do!
That’s a good point, Janna! Our work is never done. Ha! We have accomplished much, but much is left to do…
Awesome, David!
And the best part is, this is just the beginning!
My best wishes to both of you and all your students!
Thanks, Dananjay! Yes, you’re right about beginnings. You push over a big wall only to find a stretch of other, even more challenging walls waiting for you. There’s no stopping. Only forward movement.
Yes, David! And every bigger wall makes us even stronger!
That’s a fine point, Dananjay. You get over a wall and you want to rest, but you know if you do stop for a bit, you won’t have the perpetual motion to urge you over the next one.
Congratulations to both of you!!!
Your students are lucky to have you both!!!
Thank you, Katha! This project will give us the ability to reach many more students.
Right now you have to live around New York City if you want tutoring, and our in-class courses are provided through traditional universities, and so they are much more expensive if you just want to learn ASL without having to get a degree.
Now you can get get our tutoring online and you can also take our courses online no matter where you live — and if you’re getting a degree or you don’t need one — we can help you learn American Sign Language.
Congratulations! I am looking forward to seeing what Level 2 will have to offer. 🙂 (I may even have to go over Level 1 again if I am asked to TE Level 2!)
Hello Mr. Gordon!
Yes, even with our online offering of Levels 1-7 — we are still willing and able to write unique textbooks to help enhance the online teaching experience even more. We built the site to seamlessly expand with DVDs, video lessons, online portal access and companion textbooks.
What a fantastic accomplishment – wishing you every success.
(Sorry if this is a duplicated comment – it appears to have eaten the last one.)
Thanks for the good wishes, Nicola!
Your first comment did post — I have since deleted it — make sure to do a hard refresh of the page in order to see new messages… that’s sort of a quirk of Movable Type right now that should be fixed in the next major upgrade coming soon.