- Sign language as college credit for a foreign language means that learning sign language is relatively easy for those living in a town near a college. Most colleges will offer at least one sign language class per semester. This provides access to those looking to take a class either to fulfill a college credit or just to learn how to sign.
- In order to accommodate both students looking for college credit and the community at large, many universities and community colleges offer night classes in sign language. A college often offers a class during the day for students looking for credit, while the night school is geared more toward non-students. The difference can be a more relaxed, instructional approach, although the night classes might be longer because they may only be offered one night a week.
- Some towns with access to a nearby college might offer sign language classes at a high school as part of their adult education outreach program. These classes may differ from a college class by virtue of the instructor not necessarily having a college degree, but as long as they are certified to teach American Sign Language, this should not present a problem.
- Online classes in sign language should be considered only as a last resort if you cannot find an instructional class in your hometown. The reason for this is because signing is very subtle. Online animation of signs can become confusing because there is a such a similarity between certain words. In addition, an instructor can guide you better when it comes to nuance and what amounts to inflection. Online courses are fine for providing a general overview of signing, but fail to a great extent when it comes to providing information on nuance and inflection.
