Which sign language should you learn? This is a common one for those who wants to go on that journey of learning it. And that is great.
By asking that question, it is hoped that you are looking to learn sign language for the right reason (communicate with deaf people) and not for social klouts like attention and because “it looks pretty”.
Hopefully, this episode will help give you a starting point and it will take you on a journey that will benefit so many people without you realising it.
You can watch the video below…
…listen to the podcast…
…or read the transcripts below.
Transcript
Here is another common question that people ask a lot : “which language should I learn?”
Good question, because what people don’t realise is that there are hundreds of languages.
(“What you mean there isn’t a universal language? Oh, why should I bother?” Not that old stuff. I’ve talked about this topic below, you can check that out below.)
But the fact that you are asking that question will suggest that you’re curious about it and you know that there are so many out there.
In fact, there are hundreds of languages out there andit’s quite difficult then to work out which one to pick . So, which one should I choose to learn?
Think about the main reasons why you would want to learn sign language in the first place.
There could be three things, but maybe there are more you can let me know in a comment at the bottom.
1. To communicate with deaf people
One reason it could be because you want to communicate with deaf people. And that doesn’t mean that you want to communicate with strangers or people you don’t know. Even maybe a family member or friend, someone you know, that communicate only via sign language and you want to communicate with them.
2. It’s part of your volunteering or you want to be an interpreter
Maybe you want to do some volunteer work or maybe you want to train to be an interpreter, then it makes sense to learn sign language.
3. Learn about the culture, community and history
Maybe you also want to learn about the deaf culture, the deaf community, deaf history, which really should be part of your learning process. You want to make sure that you take all of those on board because they are so important when you are learning sign language.
What are the benefits of learning sign languages
There are at least 18 good reasons why you should learn sign languages. Can you think of them all?
So it makes sense when you think about all of these aspects, then you would learn a sign language that suits you.
And personally, I think you should learn the sign language that is native to your local area.
So whatever you’re choosing, in your local area, the local deaf community, and it’s by a native as well, that’s what you learn.
That ‘s the best thing for you because then you’ll be able to practise with them, you’ll be able to meet with them, able to communicate with them face -to -face and collaborate with them and build a relationship with them. You can do that face-to-face and in -person.
I know you can do it online with other people around the world. But really, why not just start with the local one first?
And maybe if you want to learn more, build it from there. But I think you just focus there and you can kind of build a connection with your local community and that’s the best way to do it.
Just think about the oral languages in general that we are familiar with; the French and Spanish and Mandarin.
It makes sense to learn whatever one that you are interested in. That’s fair enough.
And people tend to learn languages that are from other side of would OK, it could work, maybe you have someone local that you can practise with. But ths is the thing you need to practise to get better.
It’s impossible to be good at languages if you don’t practise it. Take it from me, I know . I learnt a few and it’s the best way to learn with someone you can practise with, who is a native, not just some fun novelty person who learnt the basic or learnt from watching videos and that’s it.
No, I’m talking about native signers in your local area . And that applies to any languages and it just makes sense to do that.
And even more important, then you’ll be able to pick up local dialect because they’re very difficult to learn online from resources and stuff like that.
It’s good to be able to learn local dialect. And even for me, the fact that right now I’m learning BSL, British Sign Language, I know that there are certain dialects here in Scotland, even in Edinburgh, that people in other parts of UK will not understand.
But that’s OK. That is the local dialect that I want to learn and then gradually learn about the rest of UK as well .
And that applies to you.
You could be in somewhere like the US and if you learn American Sign Language, you will have dialect that will make sense in one part of the US and then make something different in the other part of US.
And that’s just like any languages in the world. It doesn’t matter what language you choose. So expect that with sign languages. as well.
The most important thing to do when you are learning sign language is to learn it from the right people and learn it for the right reason. Don’t learn it because you want some social clout and you want some kind of social media engagement and you want to look cool or you want to sign song, then do the fun stuff.
No, think about what is the purpose of a sign language. It’s there to help communicate with deaf people.
Makes sense, right? Common sense.
But unfortunately, we still live in a time where people are doing it for the fun, for the clouts, and just to get there with Likes and engagement on social media.
And it’s such a shame that people do not because they are completely missing the point and that’s not the way to do it.
And that also applies to the way you are learning it. If you are learning from those who are also beginners it or doing it for fun. If you learn it from them, then you are at great risk of creating more oppression, which is that
- you’re not learning from the right sources ; people who know the language very well.
- you are at great risk of learning incorrect signs, which mean that it will spread even more and it will oppress sign language and deaf people even more.
So make sure you learn from the right people and the right resources. Check your local deaf community, local people in your area and go from there. You can’t go wrong as long as you do that and you do the right thing, and also don’t pick the easiest sign language to learn, (which, by the way, doesn’t exist), it’s good to hear that you want to learn and I hope you will go on that journey.
Let me know what you think. Let me know what sign language are you looking to learn in the comments?
I’d love to hear from you.
And maybe we can go on that journey together because I’m on a journey and it’s a really fun journey. It’s really, really fun to learn sign language.
And it’s something that I think everyone should learn, at least the basic stuff, learn the very basics and build it up from there. And I think it’s something that everyone will benefit from in the long term.
- What is ‘audism’? Plus my personal experiences of facing audism - October 27, 2021
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- Deafness as a ‘hidden/invisible disability’ - October 6, 2021
Hi Ahmed,
I would like my immediate family (kids & wife) and myself to learn sign language because I foresee myself being very hard of hearing ( just like my mother who is 83).
I see the quality of my mothers life & am concerned that I wouldn’t want to go through the same. We try very hard with her, despite the hearing aids…it’s a task!
She is missing out, we are missing out…it’s so frustrating.
The family is keen to learn sign language, was wondering which one to learn.
Pls advise.
Thanks
Suleiman
Hi Suleiman. I understand. For me, the best sign language to learn is the one that is local to you. You should check out this post: https://hearmeoutcc.com/which-sign-language-should-i-learn-first-my-thoughts/
Hi, am in bristol, uk, i would like to learn so my grandaughter can rest whilst still communicating.
I’m not based in Bristol so I suggest to contact local deaf charities or ask the local deaf community to see who can guide you to find the right place with the right people.
I read some woke-ideology-induced thinking in your work. I do not like that. Since you invite readers to give feedback, I will do so here.
I am interested in learning sign language, as a side interest to my communication studies. Yet your post has not really made me enthusiast, quite the contrary.
To see the fact that deaf people have trouble communicating as ‘oppression’ is a very vile way to look at the world, and does not help deaf people integrate into society in a healthy manner. It also takes away the meaning for when ACTUAL oppression happens, and your word ‘oppression’ just doesn’t mean the same thing anymore because you go around using it for all kinds of things.
The fact that not everyone knows sign language, or some mistakes are made here and there by unknowing people are not a sign of oppression. Opression is defined by the fact it happens consciously and willingly. Otherwise it’s just called a mistake, or an inconvenience, or an obstacle etc.
Furthermore it seems quite saddistic to deny people’s right to learn sign language just for fun. When it’s not hurting others, why take away the possibility for fun for someone? You don’t want people to enjoy themselves? Seems like you hold a very rough grudge towards others.
At the same time, simply allowing others to learn sign language for fun, or to show off a new skill, actually benefits deaf people, for more people will become interested in learning thus, thus increasing the spread of the sign language abilities in society. It seems like you are not interested in this fact at all, but rather go around judging people on the basis of a moral system that pretends being there to help those in needs, but serves in practice nothing but to squash others as to feel morally superior above them.
I don’t want to claim you do this on purpose. Nor do I think you have bad intentions when you wrote this. It’s the disease of woke thought that is creating the oppossite of what it pretends to do: help groups op people in society that could use some extra care.
Was this a little rant? I guess so.
I’ll go look for a non-woke post about sign language to orientate myself further.
Fascinating! It’s amazing that you’ve made so many assumptions and missing a huge point. It’s a shame because had you asked for clarifications or more info, I would have happily explained in more details and help out more. But that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Anyway, it seems that you know a lot more about deaf history and culture than I do. So you do you.
Mr. Khalifa while reading this I couldn’t help but have similar questions that Rachel had. This was the first article I have ever read that ever discouraged a non-native population from ever learning the language. But what caught my eye was the reasoning behind it. It seems your primary reasons against learning sign language of any variant was if:
1.) You want to learn it because it looks pretty.
2.) You want to learn it to bolster yourself (strongly emphasizing clout)
I assume it is because these two must be common.
I understand that approaching a language with such a sensitive history or anything at all for that matter, with a lack of situational awareness and ignorance, is very ill-advised. However, I don’t see how learning sign within the parameters mentioned above in-and-of itself are so detrimental to the deaf community. Of course learning any language wrong and spreading misinformation brings about a negative impact. Furthermore, this literally applies to every language to ever exist and the vast majority of any type of teachable form of knowledge. But spreading misinformation through social media and being on social media for clout are not mutually exclusive. Although maybe not as altruistic as learning it for the betterment of the local deaf community, I couldn’t immediately see why it would be wrong to use it to maybe impress a guy or add to your resume and perhaps social media presence. If anything Mr. Khalifa, with my limited understanding, I would beg to argue that this would still be beneficial to the deaf community as it brings about awareness and may inspire more people to learn the language, thus inciting the necessary attention especially at this time and age to become a more respected and prevalent language. As for learning the language because it looks pretty, one would think this would be something that every deaf person should have pride and joy in as it is their language.
I personally am working towards being fluent in French, Spanish, and Japanese, but for now I think I can say I’m fluent in Korean and English. As for me, my first language was Korean and ever since I was in the US, I was embarrassed with how for a while, I could only speak Korean (at the time, there were no Koreans in my community, heck most people didn’t know any Asian countries besides China and Japan.) However, with the resurgence of Korean culture through food, K-dramas, and K-pop, over the years, many people have asked me about the language. Some to learn and others to show what they’ve learned. These were the same groups of people who made fun of my culture and language growing up. But I wasn’t mad because the history, value, and what Korean stands for so many is greater than me and my feelings (as I’m sure is the same with sign language.) If fact, I was so happy to share more about such a big part of my life.
Guess what the top two reasons were for wanting to learn Korean for non-native speakers?
Yea I’m sure you know where I’m going with this.
I imagine if the Korean population had gate-kept our mother tongue to feel special about ourselves and pointed fingers at others for their lack of self-righteousness we wouldn’t be here right now. That kind of narcissism which suggests that every person who learns sign for themselves is wrong seems counter-intuitive. Take French for example, 284 million people speak it but the entire population of France is only around 67 million people. Though I can’t prove it with data or sources, I doubt many non-native speakers who learn French with no ties to the language learn it be diplomats, but rather to sound cool, make it apparent online, but most importantly, be able to talk with those who speak French.
“Don’t learn it because you want some social clout and you want some kind of social media engagement and you want to look cool or you want to sign song, then do the fun stuff.” -This is a direct quote of your words that aren’t out of context.
In conclusion, I say this all because I am curious as to your personal reasons, perspective (as someone active in the sign community), and how you’ve come to such a inference. I simply said my mind so you could understand the same with me. Would love to hear more details and clarifications as I am interested in learning sign for an agreeable reason.
I hope I didn’t offend you in any way including, but not limited to speech, misgendering, or any miscommunications. I look forward to maintaining a civilized conversation and hope that you can acknowledge and going forward, exclude, the passive aggressiveness I have sensed in your reply to Rachel as an educated adult for the sake of reason and neutral learning.
Very nicely said David. I’m more than happy to have a respectful debate, even if someone disagrees with me. It’s all about how it’s done, and you have done it in a way that I respect so I am not offended by what you have written and you are free to express your thoughts.
It can get very detailed to explain further on my thoughts. The big difference is because of how sign languages are not treated in the same light and respect as oral languages. They are oppressed and at times discouraged in traumatic circumstances for many people, to the point where there are/were attempts to eradicate it. If there is a right reason to learn and it’s taught by the right people, then it’s a big step forward to create positive awareness. Unfortunately, the general experience within the Deaf community is that it’s not learnt for the right reason. It has been abused, sometimes monetised in a way that damages the communication barrier further and there have been many case studies where people are learning sign language and decide to teach it or make money out of it even if it’s incorrect or full of misinformation. That does not raise positive awareness. It can cause further problems down the line for those who are dependent on the language.
There is no gate-keeping (if someone is doing that, then it’s not right and I don’t agree with it) if someone wants to learn. But I hope that learners can appreciate their own responsibility as well as those who already have knowledge of the language. If there is a mutual respect, then that’s the first big step forward.
I hope that helps to clarify your thoughts. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Hi, a student here! May i know why it is bad to learn sign language because it is pretty? I really do think this way of communication is quite beautiful but got taken aback when I read the first few sentences of the article. Genuinely curious here, thanks!
The main purpose of learning sign language should be to break down the communication barriers that exist. There are already oppressions plus historical traumas where sign language were banned. Plus some people have abused the language to for clouts and social media engagements, and more than happy to teach inaccurate signs. The priority is for communication. The fact that it’s beautiful should be treated as an added bonus. 🙂
Hi 🙂
So, my situation might be a bit weird. I’m an argentinian, living in the Netherlands who speaks mainly Spanish and English on her day to day due to work and social life. I’ve always wanted to learn more languages and even though I took a short course of Argentinian Sign Language when I was living there, I hardly remember it.
Now, I’m friends with a deaf person who is from the United States and one who is from the UK. My main reason to pick it up again is mainly to communicate with them, but I understand is two different languages, and also I feel a bit weird to not learn my native version, which would be spanish-argentinian. Dutch sign language is not even on the views since I can hardly speak any dutch and I’ve been struggling with that for some time already.
Should I learn argentinian, English-American or English-British sign language? I honestly don’t know where to start haha. Thanks! Your article was very helpful 🙂
Ooof, that’s certainly a unique situation.
For me, it goes back to the question of WHY do you want to learn sign language? I’m not surprised you have forgotten Argentinian Sign Language, as you will not get a lot of opportunities to practice it in the Netherlands. And it’s not like you are mixing with the Dutch Deaf community (yet?) so their sign language may not be a higher priority for you. But it sounds like you want to do it for your friends? If that’s the case, perhaps you focus on them, whilst also finding out which sign languages will give you the opportunity to practice more often, which will then help you to improve. There’s no perfect answer; only what works for you personally.
Well done for taking the initiatives, and good luck in your learning journey.
Hi there,
I am based in Germany, but because of my work I move to different countries every 3 years. So choosing a local language is a bit tricky.
My job is to help people understand their German and/or English documents (like a translator of some sort but “translator” is not my job description). I want to learn a sign language for 2 major reasons:
– I think it is important to know one just as much it is important to have a 2nd spoken language (it should be taught in school)
– I realized that I might encounter a deaf/hard of hearing person during my work. There is no department I know of that would be to communicate with them. That is my main reason wanting to learn a sign language, to be prepared for the case I/my clients needs it.
I figured an English based sign language would make most sense to learn such as ASL, BSL, SEE. But I’m not sure if that’s the right way to think of it. And was hoping for your help I choosing the right language.
Best Wishes,
There will be times where only you can answer which is the best direction to go. On many occasions, I would still lean towards the local sign language. But I can appreciate some people have a unique circumstance, like they want to learn a sign language that a close friends will know, even if it’s different the local sign language. I’m not sure if learning an English-based sign language is necessarily the best direction. But again, it will depend on your own circumstances like who are you going to most likely communicate with, where will you live, etc.
Is it silly that the main reason I want to learn sign language is because I like learning languages and am interested in learning a language that relies not on words and more on hand movements? I’m not really heavily curious in deaf people, though I do think that I could learn a lot from them, but the primary focus is having fun learning the language. This is the same reason I am learning Japanese. I don’t really care for learning Japanese to communicate, I just wanna do it for fun, and same goes for sign language.
Everyone has their reasons, and enjoyment is one of them. What I would say is that you will definitely enjoy it more if you engage with the local community, whether you are learning sign language, Japanese or just about any languages across the world. You will end up enjoying it at a much more profound and deeper level than you have ever imagined. And that’s really fun.