The Regional Center for Continuing Education at Valdosta State University will open the doors of communication when it presents Survival Sign Language Aug. 31 through Oct. 5. The class will meet from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. every Monday, except for the Labor Day holiday.
 
Over the course of five weekly sessions, Dr. Jennifer Beal-Alvarez, an assistant professor in VSU’s Department of Middle Grades, Secondary, Reading, and Deaf Education, will introduce class participants to Deaf culture and teach them finger spelling, basic signs, and common phrases. She will also help them grasp the general concepts and structure of American Sign Language, the predominant sign language of Deaf and hard of hearing persons in the United States.
 
“American Sign Language is not word-for-word signed English,” said Sue Bailey, program coordinator. “It’s a language all its own with its own rules of grammar, syntax, and so on. Continuing Education offers classes like this to help build bridges to the community and provide opportunities for members of the community to build their own bridges to new people, places, and experiences.”
 
Registration is $105 and includes one continuing education unit of credit. Area educators who wish to participate can register at a discounted rate of $75.
 
Survival Sign Language will meet in the Regional Center for Continuing Education, located at 903 N. Patterson St.

VSU Continuing Education’s mission is to enhance the quality of life in the region by providing educational, artistic, cultural, technological, and economic development activities and programs. It works to develop and present programs and activities for professional and personal enrichment of community persons.

Contact Sue Bailey at (229) 245-6484 or [email protected] to learn more about Survival Sign Language or any of the other personal enrichment and professional development programs available this fall.