PHS should add an ASL class as a foreign language. Sign language can be a very useful skill to have, as nearly 20% of the world’s population are deaf or hearing impaired. Sign language is also a universal language, as it does not vary much from each country; the biggest difference between every form of sign language is how many hands are used, format, and use of facial expressions.
Sign language is not necessarily complex to learn, most of it is based on letter shapes and motions. The hardest part of learning sign is to “stop thinking in straight English” and rely on abstraction and other skills to communicate. When in areas where ASL is taught commonly, any speakers are told not to speak verbally as it can be disrespectful to those who are deaf or hearing impaired. Instead of forcing someone who’s deaf or hearing impaired to accommodate you not knowing sign, try to accommodate them.
Currently only 1,000 schools nationwide offer ASL as foreign language credits,150 of which are in Washington, but it’s better than in the 80’s, because in the 80s only 1% of schools offered ASL courses for their students. Many colleges and high schools refused to acknowledge ASL as a foreign language then. From 2004 to 2005 there were 723 certified ASL teachers in the nation and there were over 73,000 students enrolled in ASL courses in america.
Common jobs high school students end up getting are in hospitality like servers or cashiers, which means you may meet many types of people. If you end up working in hospitality there are chances of you meeting people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Instead of having them write down what they need, as they have probably had to do countless times before, you would end up being able to sign in their language if you were taught to sign.
If high schools add ASL as a language option it could help students sympathize with deaf or hard of hearing students and better support them. Having an ASL class allows for a better understanding between people who are deaf or hard of hearing and the hearing. It fosters a society where deaf or hard of hearing people can thrive. It’s better to offer ASL classes in high school as you learn languages better when you’re younger.
