SOOOOO Sorry!
Hi everyone! I am SOOOOO sorry for not posting and no update on Wednesday!I was working on a project that took me until 11:00 pm to finish, so let's just say it slipped my mind... well anyways, I thought that I would share with you my article for the school newspaper! It talks about the benefits of learning ASL. I am going to blank out names and the town name, but the rest of the article is really interesting, so it would be cool to read! Tell me what you think in the comments!
Since 2011, The ----------- High School has provided an American Sign Language program that has singled out the school district from the others in --------------. It was one-of-a-kind and unique and so many students became interested in the culture. Because of the interest level, the program was also added to the list of foreign languages in the middle school last school year. The small group of students are in love with the culture and adore the unique language. But what benefits does ASL have outside the classroom?
When interviewed, one 8th-grade student said that the program had “changed [her] life for the better” and has “exposed [her] to another side of the world that [she] had never experienced before.” She added, “I love going to class everyday and speaking to people in ASL. It’s really cool and different.” Since her start in the program in 7th grade, she felt she has become more aware of her surroundings and has developed better hand-eye coordination.
Studies show that ASL improves fine motor skills and overall attention and communication skills. It also improves spelling skills because of the physical spelling of some words in the language. The interviewed student also feels that ASL provides a “close connection with the teacher and the students that you communicate to.”
A former ----------- ASL student felt that she now knows “basic things that [she] can sign if [she] come[s] across a deaf person.” She also got the chance to "meet some famous deaf people," which was an amazing experience for her. She also feels that “It's a new culture [for me] and there are different types of signing, besides ASL, that you can learn.” This opportunity has made her part of a whole new culture, which gives her access to a whole other language.
Mrs. ----------------, the ASL teacher in the high school and middle school, said that “ASL can help you get a job - Aside from teaching and interpreting… ASL helps anyone who is in any service industry as well.”She also feels that it can “help with speech problems or delays” and can “help babies communicate sooner.” As well as the general benefits, she has a very personal connection to ASL. Mrs. ----------- recalls that “personally, I have had some word recall problems since I developed Fibromyalgia as a teenager. I have found that when I am having a rough day recalling English words, ASL is there for me.” She has also used it to “communicate when [she] was sick, out at loud venues, and with [her] hearing babies.” She also loves to “express [herself] in a nonlinear fashion,” meaning that it’s easier to express oneself because of the use of facial expressions and movements. Additionally, with ASL she has “[created] friendships where there would have been none, with hearing and Deaf people who [she] would have never met or understood.”
This language has added spirit, diversity, and unity to the --------- School District, which has benefited our community. It has also provided a bridge between the Hearing world and the Deaf world, and will forever unite the people of -----------.
I hope that you learned a little about ASL (I speak sign language... cool, huh?) and enjoyed the article! Once again, I'm very sorry for the late post, but make sure to subscribe and comment below!
-TheBookWorm
