Sign language is a visual language that uses hand and body movements and facial expressions to communicate. This article will tell you the importance of sign language and great reasons why you should learn it.
There are over 135 different sign languages all around the world, and almost 20 per cent of the world’s population is deaf. Therefore many people need to use sign language as a means of communicating.
The importance of sign language is, of course, the access to communication within the deaf community; this is the biggest reason for sign language.
Although sign language is also used by people who can hear but can’t speak too, it is a visual language that is a tool for expressing oneself.
Keep reading to find out the ten amazing examples of the importance of sign language and why you should learn a little bit.
10. Offers those with Autism Spectrum Disorder a way to express themselves – this visual language acts as a bridge to communicating
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder growing up often struggle with developing their verbal communication.
Therefore, if they learn sign language, it can be an amazing communication tool allowing them to express what they need to say.
9. Learning sign helps you to meet people – make new friends while learning the language
Learning sign language in a classroom or online workshop setting helps you to build connections with other people learning sign as well.
Once you know the language, you have the skills to communicate with the deaf community, and you will be able to interact with them and build relationships which is the importance of sign language.
8. Sign helps with improving your peripheral vision – a visual language makes you more alert
You become more alert when you know sign language, increasing your peripheral vision. This is because it’s so visually focused you are constantly on the lookout for people trying to communicate.
It includes facial expressions, lip reading and seeing someone’s body language, all to interpret what they are trying to say, making you more alert when you know sign language.
7. Sign can be taught to babies – you can communicate through basic signs
Basic signs can be taught to babies to know what they want as they cannot speak. Sign language helps to eliminate the guesswork and excess crying as you will understand your child’s needs.
Some examples of basic signs that infants might need include: “Milk”, “water”, “hungry”, “sleepy”, “more”, or “play”, and more.
6. It helps boost your communication skills – speak with people you probably wouldn’t communicate with without it
You will be able to help individuals speak and communicate with you if you know a little bit of sign language.
Some people can go days without communication or human interaction, so if you’re able to break the communication barrier, it could help make someone’s day or week.
5. Sign language helps you to become a better listener – concentrate on communication
When you speak in sign language, it requires you to be completely focused on the conversation and be concentrated on the person who is signing/speaking to you.
As we mentioned, this language is about hand gestures and facial and body movements too. Therefore you need to be looking for all of these areas to fully understand the conversation, making you a better listener.
4. You can get more opportunities – it can be beneficial for businesses
If you work or own your own business, it is important to know sign language and basic etiquette with the language to connect with the deaf community better. Enabling you to have opportunities to attract more clients within the deaf community.
3. It introduces you to the world of deaf awareness – become a better person
You will naturally connect to the deaf community and the challenges that they face, such as in the UK, sign language is not available in schools as a second language.
Therefore, you are probably going to want to learn and become an activist for deaf awareness within your community, which is one of the most amazing examples of the importance of sign language today.
2. You can use this language when the spoken word is unavailable – an advantage over spoken language
If the spoken word is physically unavailable, you can use sign language to communicate with people.
If you were underwater scuba diving or trying to speak with someone through a glass window or in the distance, for example, sign language would be useful in this sense.
1. It is simply beautiful – sign language is a wonderful visual language
When sign language is all about expression, it can look beautiful to watch, and when you understand the communication, it can be even more amazing. What a unique and special language to learn.
These were the ten amazing examples of the importance of sign language and why you should learn it this year.