(Michelle Bicol / Daily Titan)
American Sign Language, abbreviated as ASL, is one of the most commonly used languages in the United States and the fourth most studied second language at American universities. However, it is not offered as a language class in most public high schools.
ASL should be offered in high schools to teach students to empathize with people who are deaf or hard of hearing and to better support students who are deaf.
Some may not consider sign language a real language and denote them to just gestures. However, for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, ASL is a primary language and English is a second language.
Students who are deaf or hard of hearing deal with a language barrier in classrooms, causing them to fall behind in learning and alienating them from the rest of the class.
These barriers also go beyond the classroom as 70% of deaf people are unemployed and have difficulty finding work. Co-workers expect them to process knowledge as quickly as a hearing person, and they are often seen as incapable in the workplace when they fail to meet those expectations.
Having an ASL class in high school allows for greater understanding between people who are deaf or hard of hearing and people who can hear. It fosters a society where people who are deaf or hard of hearing can thrive and be supported, not just fit in.
A common argument against teaching ASL in schools is that it is not worth the effort, especially since people who are deaf can often lip read.
However, this neglects the fact that reading lips is not a simple task and students can only efficiently learn from this method if it’s a subject they are already familiar with.
Janice Myck-Wayne, a professor of special education, said ASL has its own grammatical structures and vocabulary and is a useful language to include all members of the community and society.
One of the benefits of having ASL offered in high schools is that it can introduce a career path to students. Interpreters are in high demand in certain places, such as hospitals, courts, governmental agencies, community activities and state legislatures. Taking ASL classes in high school can instill students with a passion for sign language, which can lead them to pursue a career involving sign …….