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ASL classes a hit at North Andover High School - North Andover, MA - North Andover Citizen
The class and the instructor are equally animated, communicating with each other through the graceful gestures and expressive faces of American Sign Language. It is a first for North Andover High School, which initiated the ASL as a credited course in the fall.
NAHS Principal Carla Scuzzarella couldn’t be happier with the new course, which is taught by Northern Essex Community College instructor Larry Stephen, assisted by ASL tutor Annie LeBlanc.
“I am very pleased with how the American Sign Language class is going,” says Scuzzarella. “I think it is a wonderful skill for our students to learn and it also gives them experience in a different part of our culture.
“I know some of the students have seen that this is a possible career path - sign language interpreters are in demand. American Sign Language also is considered a foreign language so this gives NAHS students another choice for their foreign language graduation requirement. For students who have difficulty, this can be a great alternative because there is no past tense, future tense, conjugation etc., to learn.”
The class, conducted in complete silence except for occasional laughter from the students, is lively and interactive. The physicality of the visual language invites complete participation by every student in the classroom.
Instructor Larry Stephen, who is Deaf himself and conducts the class entirely by ASL, is an intense and humorous instructor, commanding the attention of his students.
“It’s a great class,” says NAHS senior Ryan Boringa. “It’s tough, but you remember more than you think you remember.”
NAHS senior Shelby Mosier appreciates the unique opportunity provided by the class.
“It’s been really interesting. You don’t have an opportunity to experience something like this every day,” says Mosier. “I also take Spanish. For this, [ASL] you have to practice and work hard every day. I want to become a doctor, and this will be helpful, obviously.”
Stephen uses images projected on a white board to help students understand the lessons they are reviewing. During a section on numbers, as each number plays on the screen the students return the sign. Palm position is very important here. Numbers have to be signed with the palm facing the body.
Students take turns signing numbers, and then prepare to review the lessons learned in the previous class. The ASL classes are held three days a week.
Stephen shows them the signs for “me,” simply pointing to oneself, and “my” holding a slightly closed hand to one’s chest. He has each student come up, one at a time, and pick a strip of paper from a bag. Each student has to sign the phrase on that paper.
As each student translates the phrase into ASL, Stephens evaluates their performances, and gestures to the class to applaud their efforts. In ASL, applause is the waving of hands with fingers wiggling.
To sign “I understand” one nods and point up toward the top of one’s head. For “I don’t understand,” one shakes one’s head and points up to the top of one’s head.
The position of the eyebrows is very important in ASL, as eyebrows are a crucial part of the grammar of ASL.
“Remember to keep your eyebrows raised when you sign North Andover High School,” admonishes Stephen.
He jokingly produces a roll of masking tape to help the students hold their eyebrows up. Assistant instructor Annie LeBlanc tutors students in the importance of facial expressions, and has a very expressive face herself.
LeBlanc, who is also Deaf, has been tutoring at Northern Essex Community College for five years, working with students’ facial expressions and any other problems they might encounter along the way.
“If they need help, I’m available for them,” says LeBlanc.
To inform a reporter what is happening during the class, and help with a post-class interview, volunteer interpreters Kellie Hickey and Shawna Chrostowski attend Tuesday’s afternoon class.
Stephen, who has been teaching ASL at NECC for five years, is enjoying his younger students at NAHS.
“I really enjoy teaching at the high school level – and the college level – and night courses for adults, and courses at Deaf, Inc. in Allston,” says Stephen. “This is my first high school class.”
He says ASL has a long history, and is a real language.
“ASL has a lot of history in the Deaf community,” says Stephen. “It varies from person to person, and students are learning ASL for various reasons. They can communicate naturally with Deaf people … older people go to night classes at NECC.
The popularity of Stephen’s high school ASL classes has led to the consideration of adding an advanced ASL II course at NAHS in the spring.
The class and the instructor are equally animated, communicating with each other through the graceful gestures and expressive faces of American Sign Language. It is a first for North Andover High School, which initiated the ASL as a credited course in the fall.
NAHS Principal Carla Scuzzarella couldn’t be happier with the new course, which is taught by Northern Essex Community College instructor Larry Stephen, assisted by ASL tutor Annie LeBlanc.
“I am very pleased with how the American Sign Language class is going,” says Scuzzarella. “I think it is a wonderful skill for our students to learn and it also gives them experience in a different part of our culture.
“I know some of the students have seen that this is a possible career path - sign language interpreters are in demand. American Sign Language also is considered a foreign language so this gives NAHS students another choice for their foreign language graduation requirement. For students who have difficulty, this can be a great alternative because there is no past tense, future tense, conjugation etc., to learn.”
The class, conducted in complete silence except for occasional laughter from the students, is lively and interactive. The physicality of the visual language invites complete participation by every student in the classroom.
Instructor Larry Stephen, who is Deaf himself and conducts the class entirely by ASL, is an intense and humorous instructor, commanding the attention of his students.
“It’s a great class,” says NAHS senior Ryan Boringa. “It’s tough, but you remember more than you think you remember.”
NAHS senior Shelby Mosier appreciates the unique opportunity provided by the class.
“It’s been really interesting. You don’t have an opportunity to experience something like this every day,” says Mosier. “I also take Spanish. For this, [ASL] you have to practice and work hard every day. I want to become a doctor, and this will be helpful, obviously.”
Stephen uses images projected on a white board to help students understand the lessons they are reviewing. During a section on numbers, as each number plays on the screen the students return the sign. Palm position is very important here. Numbers have to be signed with the palm facing the body.
Students take turns signing numbers, and then prepare to review the lessons learned in the previous class. The ASL classes are held three days a week.
Stephen shows them the signs for “me,” simply pointing to oneself, and “my” holding a slightly closed hand to one’s chest. He has each student come up, one at a time, and pick a strip of paper from a bag. Each student has to sign the phrase on that paper.
As each student translates the phrase into ASL, Stephens evaluates their performances, and gestures to the class to applaud their efforts. In ASL, applause is the waving of hands with fingers wiggling.
To sign “I understand” one nods and point up toward the top of one’s head. For “I don’t understand,” one shakes one’s head and points up to the top of one’s head.
The position of the eyebrows is very important in ASL, as eyebrows are a crucial part of the grammar of ASL.
“Remember to keep your eyebrows raised when you sign North Andover High School,” admonishes Stephen.
He jokingly produces a roll of masking tape to help the students hold their eyebrows up. Assistant instructor Annie LeBlanc tutors students in the importance of facial expressions, and has a very expressive face herself.
LeBlanc, who is also Deaf, has been tutoring at Northern Essex Community College for five years, working with students’ facial expressions and any other problems they might encounter along the way.
“If they need help, I’m available for them,” says LeBlanc.
To inform a reporter what is happening during the class, and help with a post-class interview, volunteer interpreters Kellie Hickey and Shawna Chrostowski attend Tuesday’s afternoon class.
Stephen, who has been teaching ASL at NECC for five years, is enjoying his younger students at NAHS.
“I really enjoy teaching at the high school level – and the college level – and night courses for adults, and courses at Deaf, Inc. in Allston,” says Stephen. “This is my first high school class.”
He says ASL has a long history, and is a real language.
“ASL has a lot of history in the Deaf community,” says Stephen. “It varies from person to person, and students are learning ASL for various reasons. They can communicate naturally with Deaf people … older people go to night classes at NECC.
The popularity of Stephen’s high school ASL classes has led to the consideration of adding an advanced ASL II course at NAHS in the spring.