By Kelsey Kramer
In high school, at least one foreign language credit is offered and offers courses like French or Spanish. ASL or American Sign Language is neither required nor offered as an optional course.
It would be more beneficial to learn a language that helps your community rather than a language that is only beneficial to those of the community.
Anyone can learn and speak a different language as long as it is taught properly. Also, technology such as Google Translate helps two people who speak different languages to communicate with each other. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing can learn a different language, they just can’t speak it.
Those who are deaf learn sign language to communicate but they can only communicate with those who also know sign language. Sign language was created to compensate for a disadvantage presented to those who are deaf yet it is useless if no one around that person knows the same language.
Some might say there are not enough teachers and hiring someone who is qualified enough would be difficult. Though searching for someone who is qualified to teach the course would take some time it is achievable.
Some may say that learning sign language is not beneficial to anyone who does not need it. Even if you do not know someone who is deaf, learning sign language can give you many advantages. While signing you have to think about your words and which sign corresponds which also makes you think about what you say preventing anything offensive from being said.
Sign language should be added as a course in school to benefit all and allow the deaf who do know sign language to be able to communicate with more people.
