It can also lead you down many different paths.
There are many ways to approach it, including online and printsign language dictionariesand classroom instruction.
For many people, it’s useful to do a combination of these techniques.
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As with learning any language, there is great value in attending a class.
There is even a written form of sign language that you could explore.
Practice
What good does it do to learn sign language if you don’t practice it?
Like any language, if you do not use it, you lose it.
Thedeaf or signing communityoffers many opportunities for practice.
For example, signing people often enjoy going to silent or ASL dinners and coffee chats.
Sign language is also used differently in education.
Others believe in using sign language to teach children English, an approach known as bilingual-bicultural (bi-bi).
This resulted in a ban on sign language in the deaf schools of many countries.
However, a number of individuals and organizations kept the language alive.
Additionally, no matter what new hearing or assistive technology comes along, sign language will survive.
There will always be a need for sign language, and its popularity has held and even grown.
Each of these instances points to the importance of continuing the language so that communication is more inclusive.
International Sign Language
Sign language in America is not the same sign language used around the world.
This will give you a great foundation that can be fueled by practice signing with others.
