Why Sign Language should be taught in Schools

“Sign language is the equal of speech, lending itself equally to the rigorous and the poetic, to philosophical analysis or to making love.”

I believe that sign language should be taught in schools from a young age, and kids should have the choice of picking it just like the other languages for more complicated levels. Sign language isn’t only useful for deaf and mute people, but everyone. In this essay, I will be discussing the reasons that I think sign language should be taught alongside the initial language taught in the region. Here is the first reason:

First of all, people from all around the world will be able to communicate with this shared language, there will be no need for translating apps or any confusion to occur. In addition to that, sign language can be useful in countless situations. For instance, if someone is coming for a job interview or to order something at a restaurant, there would be no confusion. Perhaps you’re at the cinema and you want to talk to your friend, you can do so without making a sound. Or maybe you’re at a loud concert with your friends and you can easily communicate with your hands. Another example could be talking underwater while snorkeling or diving.  Communicating while eating, talking through the glass, or far distances are a few other examples.

Secondly, sign language helps people to develop better listening skills. Sign language forces people to pay full attention to the person who is speaking by maintaining eye contact and waiting for the person to finish speaking for you to start. You simply can’t look away when talking in sign language. This shows the other person that you are genuinely interested in what they are saying. People who know sign language tend to be better at listening.

My last point is that sign language can be just as, if not more expressive than words. Even though you can change your tone and volume when speaking, with sign language there are also ways to express yourself. The way your arms move, the speed you speak at, your facial expressions can say a great deal about what you’re trying to get across. For example, the position of your eyebrows can change your sentence from a statement to a question. Facial expressions can express emotions as well as grammatical information.

In conclusion, sign language is really the most useful language existing, and I don’t see why it shouldn’t be part of every human’s life. There are plenty of more reasons why it should be taught in schools, but those were just a few