Learning Sign Language
Topic: Deaf Communication
Author: Richard A Cox
Published: 2009/01/20 - Updated: 2014/01/25
Contents: Summary - Introduction - Main Item - Related Topics
Synopsis: American sign language is probably the most popular and widely used by the deaf and it is not hard to learn but does take a little bit of time to master.
Introduction
It's so easy to take things for granted. Those of us with all our senses. The sight of a beautiful sunrise, or the sound of the birds chirping on the morning. There are those who will never know what these things are like. Some of us do not really know how blessed we are.Main Item
The world of the deaf can be such a quiet one in so many ways. It's more than just not hearing sounds. It's never being able to hear a loved one say, "I love you." This affects the heart more than it affects the ears.
Sign language is by no means a substitute for hearing, but it is a start... a way to communicate with others. Sometimes I wonder what the bigger problem is with being deaf, that you can't hear or that there are so few people who take the time to learn sign language. It's not very hard to learn and quite honestly, it can make the difference between somebody feeling excluded from this world and being a part of it.
If you take the time to watch two people sign, you will notice a connection between them that you don't normally find between individuals.
When we speak casually with each other, sometimes we don't even make eye contact, instead focusing our attention on what's on the TV or on our computer screens when we're surfing the Internet. But when people speak to each other through sign language, they really do connect.
American sign language is probably the most popular and widely used. It isn't hard to learn. Yes, it does take a little bit of time, but anything worth while is going to take time. Besides, the satisfaction that you will feel once you have mastered the language, well, it's like nothing else you're ever going to experience. It's a kind of good feeling inside that you're part of somebody's world that you might not normally ever get to enter. The bond you will share is quite special.
Explore Related Topics
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2 - The Brain Treats Hearing in a Crowded Room Differently - The brain treats speech in a crowded room differently depending on how easy it is to hear, and whether we are focusing on it.
3 - Self-taught Homesigning Deaf Children Supports Universal Language Constraints - Deaf homesigners offer a unique window into whether there are universals for how people use language to talk about ideas.
4 - Humans Still Understand Chimpanzee and Bonobo Gestures - The discovery of gestures used by great apes provides evidence of intentional communication outside human language; over 80 such signals have now been identified.
5 - Struggling to Hear at Work - Visualise Training and Consultancy takes a look at the challenges employees with hearing loss face in the workplace.
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Cite This Page (APA): Richard A Cox. (2009, January 20 - Last revised: 2014, January 25). Learning Sign Language. Disabled World. Retrieved October 6, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/disability/types/hearing/communication/learning-sign-language.php
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