Hi Everyone!
We wanted to ensure that you’re aware of a wonderful instruction program that is available for FREE to students across Ontario.
The International Languages Elementary Program provides language and culture instruction. In the TDSB, 51 languages are taught in after school and weekend settings.
As of this fall, American Sign Language, the primary language of the culturally Deaf in North America has become available as a language option. This is the first time in Ontario that ASL will be available to elementary school-aged children in its true form-as used in the Deaf community-and will be taught by Deaf instructors.
Three first sites are:
- Essex Junior and Senior Public School
- Earl Haig Public School
- Faywood Arts-based Curriculum School.
At Essex, class is on Wednesdays from 3:30pm to 6pm.
Including ASL as a heritage language has been a personal “project” for myself, Rosary Kwak and my friend Liz Hysen. I am a hearing mom who has 3 children with hearing loss and Liz grew up as “CODA” (cultural term for Child of Deaf Adult), meaning both her parents are Deaf. Liz was looking for a way for her children to learn the language she grew up with, just as other parents put their own children in Hungarian or Spanish classes.
Feel free to visit our website which we hope acts as a guide to parents across the province who would like to add ASL in their own Boards’ ILE program. http://aslile.weebly.com/
If you are interested in your child learning ASL and about Deaf culture, please sign up! No background knowledge is necessary.
Registration continues throughout the year, so you can join in at any time. Please visit the TDSB website for more information or to register: http://www.tdsb.on.ca/ElementarySchool/BeyondtheClassroom/InternationalLanguagesElementary.aspx
Registration is open now.
Thank you and see you in class!
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