There’s never been a better time to learn ASL in Santa Barbara!
In Santa Barbara we are really lucky to have some very good options for learning ASL! First off, always check this site as we often are announcing sign language classes that we are teaching or know about. Good news is that we are preparing to start a new 6 week free (with donation option) class on Monday June 24 @ 7:00-8:20pm at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1500 State Street. This class will be very introductory in nature and will give you a good taste of beginning sign language. After 6 weeks you will be able to fingerspell, introduce yourself to your classmates and have basic beginning conversations. The classes run for 6 weeks and if you love it we can make suggestions about how to continue your studies. We will be starting other beginning classes as the seasons march on so keep returning to this site for information on where you can catch our next six week introductory session!
Your second option, which is an excellent one, is to look at classes at Santa Barbara City College. Most students must start with ASL 101, even if you have some ASL experience. There is an online option along with a hybrid option that incorporates online learning along with one face to face class each week. ASL 101 is offered several times a year and you can continue on from there and can even earn an Associates Degree in ASL at SBCC. You need good internet connection and skills for this class and the hybrid option also gives you a fantastic opportunity to practice with others on a weekly basis. If at all possible, we recommend the hybrid!
The third option if in person learning isn’t an option for you is to consider taking an online class. Of course we are partial to learning in person as practicing your expressive and receptive skills is critical but sometimes folks just need to start out online and we are lucky to have some excellent resources for that. We recommend Lifeprint.com. Dr. Bill Vickers teaches these lessons free (again, there is a donation option) and they are a great way to start out. We recommend shooting for one lesson per week and building your vocabulary one lesson (about 20 words) at a time. We utilize lifeprint.com into our ASL classes that we teach and find it to be an awesome teaching tool! If this is the option you choose be sure to look for local deaf events so you can go practice your signing with others, which is the best way to improve.