Ratheesh Chelakkattu

I've been signing for 15+ years and I can converse with Deaf people, but I've working to make my signing more ASL and less English. Ratheesh has been the most helpful so far of all the tutors I've tried on here when it comes to this goal, and I think I've tried most of the Deaf ASL tutors.

Every lesson with Ratheesh is a pleasure. As a teacher and speaker of multiple languages, ASL is a whole new world of expression for me, and Ratheesh just makes it all the more exciting and fascinating. He manages to teach ASL grammar and structure, while also tailoring lessons around me, my life, my interests, and more. Honestly, he's one of the best language teachers I've had!

I had a great first lesson with Ratheesh and would highly recommend his class to anyone who is learning ASL or wants to practice their ASL! I'm not that confident in my ASL abilities but Ratheesh made me feel comfortable and the time flew! I really enjoyed taking this lesson, it made me want to become more of a visual thinker! Thank you!

There are not enough words to describe Ratheesh; it would be best to just sign them :) As a foreign language high school teacher myself, I can say that he is truly an amazing educator. From day one our lessons have been filled with joy and laughter. There is never a dull moment and, after a long day of work, I always look forward to spending time and learning from him. From knowing absolutely nothing, he has opened up a completely new world to me that I never even knew existed. I look forward to continuing my lessons and diving deeper and deeper into the amazing world of ASL and everything it has to offer.

Ratheesh had a very encouraging and positive demeanor! I would be happy to take more lessons with him in the future. He was able to explain signs to me in ways that were easily understandable!

I look forward to my ASL lessons every week! Navigating the world visually is a challenge for me because I am a highly auditory learner, but Ratheesh has a natural ability to both challenge and encourage me every time we meet. His curiosity makes lessons fun and the topics we cover are always relevant to my life. I especially appreciate how he corrects my signing mistakes with patience, humor, and easy to understand explanations. It’s truly a delight to work with him. :-)