Why Not???  

I don't know if it would help them get a job faster but it sure would be helpful for those that are deaf and mute. Also isn't sign language universal? If one didn't know spanish or french could they not communicate in that way at least? Just seems like it is something that should be taught in the schools at a young age for so many reasons.

When we had the deaf students in our preschool we did practice sign language with all the students. They really enjoy it, and that would be the age to start learning it.

Thats what I'm thinking too, Garden!

Hi jewels,

I don't think any of our local schools teach this. I'm sure it would help those that are deaf if everyone knew it. Here the kids do have to learn another language. I think it becomes elective once in highschool but it is required in order to go on to college.

No kidding..My son is a senior this year and so far that hasn't been a requirement for any of the colleges he has applied to. They like it that he has taken the extra language courses but would still accept him without them.

Hi Jewels,

I'm wrong on that one. Read Garden's post below. Oops. Things have changed a bit since I've been in school.

Thanks for clearing that up..

Hi Garden! Your response was an education for me here. I didn't know that they had stopped requiring that in order to go on to college. I know that where I am that it is a requirement in the middle school because I had one daughter that really struggled with her French and wanted to drop it for another course and it wasn't allowed. They told her the only ones that were not required to take it were the kids that were coded. Thank you for asking whether or not it was universal. I was so clueless on this. Very interesting. Beyond helping us communicate with the deaf, knowing sign language could be so useful for other things. People that have been injured or sick and can't talk, communicating with someone in a loud place or a place where we should be quiet. I would love to learn it. Thanks Garden for the very informative response!

Hi, Sid, I often think I should get out some books and study up, as I like sign language as a part of worship. I love how singing looks when signed. I think more colleges should require a second language for entry. Even if we do not use the language, it helps us not be so self centered but more able to see the world as others do.

Hi Kingblack,

I'm not saying that we should not learn spanish and french. I think that sign language should be taught in the schools as well.

Hi wonttakelong,

I did not mean it in the way that you took it at all. I know well that they are perfectly as intelligent and intellectual as we are. I am old and the word "dumb" back in my day did NOT mean unintelligent. It means unable to speak and that was the term they used for the deaf and mute. Now mute is used more often. I would never ever ever imply that a deaf person was stupid. Please look it up....dumb really does mean unable to speak. I usually use the word mute too just for this reason.

Ok this is really bothering me. Please please do look this up. I would NEVER insult a deaf person this way. I meant the word with it's original meaning. Geez...I started this discussion in main part on defense for the deaf people. Why would I ever insult their intelligence? I have an anxiety disorder and so does one of my girls that is called "Selective Mute". I am very sensitive to the inability to communicate vocally. Advocating my daughter in the school system is actually what caused me to wonder just why they don't teach this in school.

Poor sid! I kind of cringed for you when I first read your post, knowing you'd get someone who'd pick up on the word 'dumb" and comment on it.

As with many words, meanings have gone from descriptive to denigrating. A notable example is the term "midget" which I kind of thought was almost affectionate in its tone. However, to persons of short stature, which is the current vogue terminology, it is highly offensive. Oddly enough, dwarfism, which is a description of a medical condition, doesn't hold the same taboo. To me, the SOUND of THAT word is far more unpleasant, and I would never use it. I'd rather struggle with the latin term.

I didn't comment because having read your other posts in the past, I was well aware that you meant no disrespect or unkindness by use of the word, it was simply one you were more familiar with.

hi sulynsi,

I expected it. As soon as I re-read my wording I thought to myself that this was going to be misunderstood. All my growing up that was how it was said and that is what they referred Helen Keller as. I am aware that it isn't a term used so much anymore but there is no way to edit here. Oh well, just a little misunderstanding. It happens. I didn't know that about the word midget and you are right, I also think it sounds nicer than dwarfism. go figure.

I think even if you don't know a deaf person that it would be good to know. You just never know when you'll encounter one and it sure would make their world easier if everyone could communicate with them. It has to be frustrating for them. They learn sign language to communicate with family and teachers etc but not the rest of the people in their world?

Oops, I meant trying to get you to help them, not trying to help you - but that counts!!

HI Cherishxbunny,

So true. So many situations where this would be such a good tool. Also for the people that are deaf...why should they go to a special school to learn how to communicate amongst themselves and then they get in the real world and so many people have no idea how to communicate with them? Why should they have to have interpreters?

I'm not sure. =\

Hi artistry,

I hate that phrase too but I grew up with it and it just came out automatically. If you read thru the above comments you will see that off course, someone got offended understandably because of how that word is usually used. I do think they should actually incorporate it into the grade school. It isn't universal I discovered from another post here. Maybe while teaching second languages they should incorporate it in for those languages. Seriously, Why should the deaf people not have access to communicating with us?

...Hi again sid, I don't see any reason forpeople in the discussion to get upset over the word usage. It has been used to denote not being able to speak in our society and others as well perhaps. But those who cannot speak are certainly not "dumb" as in smart or dumb. So the negative reaction is off base in a way. Non-speaking should perhaps be substituted for dumb? Also I was in no way referring to your usage of the phrase, I was just speaking of the societal use of it. We need not as individuals with divergent thoughts get too sensitive, speaking of those who were upset, over a phrase that should be changed to reflect what is reality. A person who cannot speak should not be called "dumb" in my opinion. No one for that matter should be called dumb, because they have something smart about themselves somewhere. But that's another subject. Forgive my rambling. "o) Take it easy.

Hi artistry,

I didn't take your use of the word as that you were referring to mine. I actually agree that it is not a nice sounding word to use in reference to mute people considering the other meaning that it has.I don't think it was ever meant as a reference to their intelligence but the word itself came to be an insulting word. It originally meant lacking speech. I was not offended that someone misunderstood what I meant. She is a friend and I felt bad as I don't want her thinking that I meant it the way that she took it. I didn't at all.

Just think, if we could have signed that phrase we would have a better understanding. We could say "hearing and language impaired". If I were to choose which signing class was taught in school, it would probably be ASL over SEE because it is more compact, or succinct. I had never heard of SEE until I worked in that class.

I would imagine if you were mute then you may wish that more people knew sign language. These people struggle to communicate everywhere they go because no one knows how to communicate with them. Sure, they can communicate with their family and close friends. That's about it. I'm a clerk in a store. Do you have any idea what it is like trying to figure out what they want for cigarettes or lord forbid they need directions. Just to get me to understand that they need paper and pen ...it isn't fair.

Hi liquorice,

Yes I think it would be a step forward if kids were taught this at a young age. The deaf now are in special schools or as someone above mentioned, they have an interpreter. They are not always going to be in school. Just seems that it would make life easier for them if more people could communicate with them.