Glen Ellyn, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- College of DuPage hosted its third annual American Sign Language Immersion day, giving high school and college students a chance to step out of the classroom and practice with the deaf community.
The sessions, entirely in ASL, focused on deaf culture, sports signs, classifiers practice as well as fingerspelling.
John Manzano is studying to become an ASL interpreter, thanks to an interaction with a customer from work.
"I worked at Panera, and we had a deaf customer come in and I was so shocked at how happy he was that I knew a little bit of sign language," said Manzano. "So I took more classes, got addicted to signing, and the language and culture."
Assistant professor Adam Wasilewski was born deaf and now teaches ASL courses at College of DuPage.
"I personally like to teach people my language and I have fallen in love. It's my passion," said Wasilewski.
Wasilewski said the need for American Sign Language learners is growing at a rapid pace.
"There's a high demand," he said. "There's a need for more interpreters, so we offer that program."
COD students can earn an ASL certificate and continue on for an ASLI certificate or degree at the college.