PAL International School is now teaching American Sign Language as an additional communication tool for students to use with teachers and friends. Sign language has been found to be helpful for young children who are learning two or more languages.
PAL starts with teaching simple but often-used words such as “please,” “thank you,” and “sorry,” and then moves on to more difficult words or songs. Younger students find it easy to express their needs, and older students can show their feelings even if they don’t want to speak.
PAL’s summer intensive program lasted for nine weeks this year, with over 850 attendees. The new school year started on August 25, and sees the introduction of a new tuition system, which reduces fees by about 20%. For more information, email [email protected]. — MAKIKO KOIDE
