do you think learning sign language boosts your knowledge and do you think it is important to use and learn?

Question: do you think learning sign language boosts your knowledge and do you think it is important to use and learn?
- Keywords:
  knowledge,
  language,
  learning,
  sign language
Asked by fund490rya on 4 Jul 2023.
- Kip Heath answered on 4 Jul 2023:
  
  I’m not Dan, but I know some sign language. I work in healthcare in a children’s hospital. I think it’s important to try and make feel included so I learned enough to have a basic conversation. I also make sure I learn ‘hello, how are you, thank you’ in as many languages as I can.
- Cheryl Williams answered on 4 Jul 2023:
  
  I wouldn’t say it boosts your knowledge but it is definitely a worthwhile skill to learn. I think basic sign language should be taught in school, just like foreign languages are, as this would make us a more inclusive population.
- Bruno Silvester Lopes answered on 5 Jul 2023:
  
  It definitely helps in developing your brain connections for sure. I know 4 languages and know basics of others 3-4 languages as well. It has helped me to do well in my exams. If you are passionate then just go for it 🙂
- Sophie Shaw answered on 5 Jul 2023:
  
  When my son was born, I took him to some baby sign language classes where we were both taught British Sign Language. It turns out that some children can learn to communicate with signs before they can speak, and in cases with children with learning difficulties signing might be the only way they communicate. This taught me that signing has a much bigger role in communication than just being beneficial to the hard of hearing community. It would be fantastic if more people knew and used it!
- Abi Attwell answered on 5 Jul 2023:
  
  I think learning sign language is great, it would definitely come in use to help those of the hearing impaired community! At school I learnt level 1 British Sign Language, and also took a course in Makaton for professionals when I was working in a communication aid service (giving children with disabilities technology to help them communicate).
  I would love to learn more, and I love to take any opportunity to learn more languages as it helps understand different communities and culture, as well as helping other people feel more included and heard.
- Fran Biggin answered on 5 Jul 2023:
  
  I think sign language is a great skill to learn. I have a family member who is deaf and when they come across people who can communicate with them they find it really helpful and comforting. Learning to communicate with others is a great way to spend your time.
- Chigozie Onuba answered on 5 Jul 2023:
  
  It depends on if you would like to work in sector that requires sign language. Personally I do not use or know anything about sign language. But it can be useful depending on what you want to do.
- Caroline Addey answered on 5 Jul 2023:
  
  I think it would help me to be a better communicator and would support this being something more people have an opportunity to learn.
- Hannah Scholes answered on 5 Jul 2023:
  
  I’m not sure it would boost your knowledge in science as such, but I definitely thing it’s a fantastic skill to learn! It’s really important that we can communicate with everyone and be inclusive. I’m trying to learn a little bit of sign language.. I can finger-spell and would love to learn more.
- Clare Morrow answered on 5 Jul 2023:
  
  Yes i do. Our phlebotomists (those that take blood) have learnt basic sign language to be able to communicate with hearing impaired patients that come for blood tests. My daughter is training to become a speech and language therapist and so has been learning Makaton too.
- Lynne Benton answered on 6 Jul 2023:
  
  I think understanding and appreciating the communication needs of those who struggle to communicate in mainstream – ie speaking and listening is important for everyone. Basic signing should be considered to become part of the national curriculum so everyone has a baseline knowledge.
- Charlotte Ritson answered on 10 Jul 2023:
  
  I think it’s a great thing to learn! Our language and communication is complex, and the more able we are to communicate with people and meet their needs, the better.
  
  Unfortunately, lots of jobs are not very accessible to people who have significant hearing impairments, so it might be something you don’t come across much unless you are working directly with patients and the public. I think it’s important to think about who you might be in contact with, and what they might need to communicate with you – for example, in some settings, it might be really useful to learn Makaton.
  
  It’s also hard to keep up these skills unless you use them regularly, unfortunately, and not everyone has the time to practice without a particular reason – the same as with any language.
- Dan Brunsdon answered on 10 Jul 2023:
  
  Oh definitely, I think learning other languages is always a good thing to be doing for a whole host of reasons but in particular yes I think sign language is important for more of us to learn. Even just knowing the basics can make a huge difference to somebody. It can be a very isolating experience if the majority of people in your school, in your home town, at your job, or just the majority of people in your country aren’t able to talk to you. The basics of sign language aren’t difficult especially once it becomes part of your muscle memory, and learning even just the alphabet can help make our society more inclusive and accepting for people with hearing loss. The most difficult part for me when learning sign language was actually just finding a teacher and an affordable class! I was fortunate that both my undergraduate and postgraduate universities had student societies with discounted rates which allowed me to study it, so if you’re looking to learn these can be great places to get started 🙂

Question: do you think learning sign language boosts your knowledge and do you think it is important to use and learn?

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