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!

Ratheesh is always such a great teacher to learn with! He is patient and guides you through the conversation with a welcoming and attentive demeanor.

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.

Thanks so much for helping me with my medical ASL assignment! Ratheesh is great at explaining basic as well as high-levels concepts!

I’ve been taking lessons with Ratheesh for a while now, and have truly enjoyed our lessons. I had a little prior ASL knowledge, but have expanded my understanding and ability in sign language since working with Ratheesh. We chat (or sign rather) about so many different topics and the conversations never got old. Ratheesh always seems happy to repeat or clarify on a specific sign, and give examples or further explain things when I’m confused. I feel like the learning in our lessons happens very naturally. It’s been so great getting to learn not just ASL, but also about Deaf culture too. I look forward to continuing our lessons, learning this beautiful language and having fun while doing it!