Are you curious about learning American Sign Language? LTS, or Learn to Sign, is a new club founded by Colette Schudel that aims to give students both an in-person and online resource to explore and learn sign language. The meetings are held weekly every Tuesday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in room B206. The club is guided by two passionate advisors, Mrs. Luciano and Mrs. Morris.
To learn more about the club, Cardinal Nation sat down with the founder and president of the club.
Cardinal Nation: Why did you start the club?
Colette Schudel: I love sign language, and this is something I have done for my entire life. My mom was the one who taught me sign language. I think it’s an amazing language, and I would love to be able to share it with others.
Cardinal Nation: What do you hope for the future of the club?
Colette Schudel: I hope to be able to have more students come and join us, and for people to realize how important sign language is.
Cardinal Nation: Is there anything you’d like to tell students who would like to join the club in the future?
Colette Schudel: Definitely do not hesitate to join, as it isn’t a big commitment. I teach sign language in a fun, interactive way, and it’s a pretty easy class. I’m grateful to be able to start this club, and I hope many people will realize it’s an amazing language.
Cardinal Nation’s Look Inside a LTS Meeting
Cardinal Nation followed a new member’s first experience at LTS. Joining the club as a new member, Colette began the ASL lesson by teaching the student how to sign colors. This also provided a review for members who were returning to continue developing their skills. Then, to help refresh the memories of the previous week’s lesson and commit some signs to deep memorization, club members played a short round of Blooket(1) to review how to sign colors. After mastering the signing of colors, members did a lesson on everyday signs on greetings such as ‘hello’ and ‘my name is…’, which is an essential part of ASL communication.
Typically in a lesson, Colette signs beside a self-made presentation, signing slowly to ensure every member is able to follow and express the sign before moving on to the next word.
Mrs. Luciano shared that the LTS club provides flexible and fun ways to learn signs. “The nice thing is it’s very informal and members have access to all the lessons online. In addition, members have a voice about what they want to learn.” she said. “We often practice signing by playing games. Mrs. Jodi Morris and I enjoy the weekly meetings and along with Colette, we’re open to suggestions about how to make the club even better.”
Concluding the lesson we sat in on, Colette practiced real-world application with the members by conversing with them only using sign language.
For some, picking up a new language like ASL might seem daunting. However, one new member accentuated the friendliness of how the club is managed saying, “It was really easy to catch on to the signs Colette teaches, as she connects signing motions to how we interpret them in real life, and I unintentionally caught on to some signs during the games we played.”
With exciting and interactive lessons, LTS continues to expand as a place where students can develop a valuable new skill. Whether you’re a beginner or already know some ASL, this club welcomes all who are interested in learning. If you’re looking for a fun and educational approach to learning sign language, consider stopping by a meeting after school on Tuesday.
