ALTON - Alton High School will offer two classes in American Sign Language starting next year.
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American Sign Language I and II will teach students the basics of American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf culture. Rene Hart, the district’s Director of Curriculum and Instruction, emphasized the importance of teaching languages like ASL at the high school level.
“It’s crucial to provide students with the ability to communicate effectively in a language other than English and to foster cultural understanding,” Hart said. “Giving students the opportunity to study world languages helps to prepare them for a globalized world. Studying world languages helps develop skills in communication, cultural awareness and connections across diverse communities. So we’re really excited about the opportunity to expand into American Sign Language.”
The Alton Community Unit School District #11 Board of Education approved the ASL classes at their recent meeting on Dec. 17, 2024. Hart said ASL I will be offered in Fall 2025 as a prerequisite for ASL II. Both classes will cover “the fundamentals of American Sign Language,” with a focus on “receptive and expressive communication,” she added.
Hart noted that the classes will also focus on Deaf culture and building a greater cultural awareness for students. The high school currently offers Spanish and German classes. Hart believes the World Languages department is an important part of AHS’s course offerings, and she said students benefit from learning about experiences and languages that are “bigger than Alton.”
“We live in a very globalized world,” she explained. “When we think about college and career readiness for students, world languages do play a part within that readiness. The ability to communicate in multiple languages offers students not only the ability personally, but professionally at times, too. It really just allows students the opportunity to be more educated on the world around them.”
The high school will gauge student interest starting in January as students register for Fall 2025 classes, but Hart anticipates the ASL courses will be popular. Following the Board of Education’s unanimous approval on Dec. 17, the high school will begin the search for an ASL instructor to teach the classes.
Hart noted that the classes might “evolve and adapt” as they evaluate student interest and hire a teacher, but the main goals — to teach ASL fundamentals and learn about Deaf culture — will be at the forefront. She is excited to share the new ASL classes with the Alton High School community.
“In the Alton School District, we’re actively exploring ways to expand our World Language offerings for students and really to build capacity to serve more students who are interested in world languages,” Hart added. “We’re always looking for ways to provide students with more courses that fit their needs and their interests, and I think that this one will be a class that our students want to take.”
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