American Sign Language tutors · Los Angeles · Since 2006
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Why American Sign Language?
Four reasons to take American Sign Language classes
Connect With the Deaf Community
Over 500,000 Americans use ASL as their primary language. Learning ASL is the single most meaningful way to build genuine relationships across the Deaf-hearing divide.
Pursue a High-Demand Interpreting Career
ASL interpreters are in chronic shortage across healthcare, legal, and education sectors. Certified interpreters command strong salaries with flexible schedules.
Communicate When Speech Can't
ASL is invaluable in noisy environments, underwater, through glass, and at a distance. Parents also use it with pre-verbal infants to reduce frustration and build early communication.
Learn a Fully Visual Language
ASL has its own grammar, syntax, and poetry — it's not signed English. Learning it rewires how you think about communication, space, and expression in profound ways.
Since 2006
American Sign Language in Los Angeles
American Sign Language (ASL) is a complete, natural language with its own grammar, syntax, and idioms. It is not a signed version of English. ASL uses handshapes, facial expressions, body movement, and spatial relationships to convey meaning, and its grammatical structure is closer to Japanese than to English. ASL has a documented history going back to the early 19th century, with influences from French Sign Language and the home-sign systems used in Martha’s Vineyard and other Deaf communities. It is the primary language of approximately 500,000 to 1 million Deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans, and it is studied by hearing learners as a foreign language at most major universities.
The Deaf and ASL-using community in LA is large and well networked, with anchors at California State University Northridge (one of the country’s leading Deaf studies programs), the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness, and ASL-using churches, theater companies, and cultural events across the basin. Many of our ASL students are family members of Deaf children, healthcare workers, teachers, social workers, and interpreters in training. Others are hearing actors preparing for ASL-using roles (Strommen has coached ASL on multiple productions), or hearing adults learning ASL because they have a Deaf colleague, neighbor, or friend.
Strommen has been matching students with private ASL tutors in Los Angeles since 2014. Our tutors are Deaf and native-signing instructors, which is the standard the field expects: ASL is best learned from people who use it as their primary language, not from hearing learners who have studied it. Lessons are one on one, online (over video) or in person, and your tutor builds every session around your goals. Whether you are a parent of a newly diagnosed Deaf child, a graduate student preparing for an interpreter program, an actor preparing for a role, or a professional needing ASL for your job, your instructor designs the curriculum around what you actually need.
No public American Sign Language group classes right now — but we can set up a semi-private class for your family, friends, or company with as few as two people. Get in touch.
American Sign Language class FAQ
What is the best way to learn American Sign Language?
Learning from a Deaf or native-signing tutor is the gold standard. ASL is a visual language, and you need real-time feedback on your handshapes, facial expressions, and use of signing space — things no app or book can evaluate. Beyond lessons, immersing yourself in the Deaf community is critical. Attend Deaf events, watch ASL content creators on social media, and practice with other signers. Many students make the mistake of learning ASL vocabulary without learning ASL grammar, which results in signed English rather than actual ASL. A qualified tutor will teach you to think in ASL, not just translate from English word by word.
How long does it take to learn American Sign Language?
For basic conversational ability — introducing yourself, asking and answering common questions, following simple stories — most students get there within 3 to 6 months of consistent practice. Reaching intermediate fluency, where you can have natural back-and-forth conversations on a range of topics, typically takes 1 to 2 years. Professional-level fluency, the kind needed for interpreting work, requires 3 to 5 years of intensive study and community immersion. ASL grammar is genuinely different from English, and developing receptive skills (understanding someone signing to you at full speed) often takes longer than expressive skills.
Is American Sign Language hard for English speakers?
ASL challenges English speakers in ways they don't expect. The grammar is not English — word order is different, facial expressions are grammatical (a raised eyebrow can mark a yes/no question), and spatial relationships carry meaning. You're also learning to process language visually rather than auditorily, which is a fundamental shift. On the other hand, ASL doesn't have conjugation tables, gendered nouns, or spelling rules to memorize. Many students find the early stages intuitive and fun. The difficulty tends to increase at the intermediate level, when you move beyond vocabulary and into complex grammar, classifiers, and narrative techniques. Consistent exposure to native signers is what gets you through that plateau.
Can I take ASL classes online?
Yes, and video-based lessons are a natural fit for ASL since the language is entirely visual. Our ASL tutors teach via video call, where both you and the tutor can see each other's signing clearly. Screen size matters — we recommend using a laptop or tablet rather than a phone so you have a full view of the signing space. Online ASL lessons are effective for all levels, from complete beginners to advanced students preparing for interpreter certification. We also offer in-person sessions in the LA area for students who prefer that, but the majority of our ASL students study online without any issues.
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Since 2006 · Los Angeles
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