Did you know that American Sign Language (ASL) is the 3^rd-most studied modern/foreign language at American universities and colleges? Moreover, it’s the 3^rd-most popular language in the USA  after English and Spanish. It’s no wonder the Bureau of Labor Statistics says employment for ASL translators and interpreters will rise by at least 20% before 2029. 

Do these stats make you see the need to take online sign language lessons? Definitely, they should shift some positions in your mind regarding ASL. Research also shows that studying ASL can improve your spatial awareness, concentration power, and reaction time. This post discusses the seven leading reasons to learn ASL. Keep on reading to discover and benefit more.

1. Sure Career Opportunities

   Taking online sign language lessons from a reputable college boosts your employment chances. For instance, interpretation is a leading career path you can take as a bilingual hearing professional. The need for qualified sign language interpreters in communities and mainstream educational programs is rising across the US.

   You can get a job to interpret in health institutions, courtrooms, state agencies, and community activities. Additionally, state, county, and local legislatures need ASL interpreters. State agents like law enforcers and emergency response workers benefit from sign language. Don’t forget that the private sector still needs sign language professionals. Professionals and specialists in private agencies require sign language interpreters.

2. Enhanced Communication

   You need to study ASL to boost your communication. That is why hundreds of colleges, universities, and other public learning institutions have embraced this language as a course. Studying ASL lets you communicate well with people with hearing difficulties or the deaf. This language also helps children with deaf parents to remain in touch. It also enables parents with deaf children to communicate with their kids. Lastly, siblings and other family members of the deaf can remain in communication with them.

3. Enhanced Cultural Integration

   Language is a critical pillar in any cultural setting. Studying ASL lets you connect yourself to the culture of the deaf community. It enables you to understand these special citizens by becoming more aware of and sensitive to their needs. Being proficient in sign language lets you appreciate the deaf culture. This way, you also promote their sense of acceptance outside the deaf community.

4. Make More Friends

   You can also use your studying of ASL to boost your social antenna. You get an opportunity to meet and befriend new people within and without the deaf community. You may use this language to befriend your fellow student as you study online. Further, most online training schools have social media pages where students can interact, socialize, and share their experiences and journeys.

5. Improved Peripheral Vision and Reaction Time

   Did you know that you can improve your reaction time and peripheral vision by studying sign language? A study the University of Sheffield conducted revealed that sign language users enjoy enhanced peripheral vision and reaction time. Why is that? Because sign language is more focused on visuals that demand your increased alertness to what’s flashing before you. This focus on visuals can also improve your sporting and driving capabilities.

   Furthermore, some scientists suggest that the deaf have an exceptional visual ability that hearing adults lack. Your use of sign language exposes you to more facial expression and lip-reading scenarios. This way, you observe many things simultaneously, hence engaging your peripheral vision more.

6. Boost Your Body Language Skills

   Learning sign language also boosts your body language expertise. Mastering ASL requires you to watch one’s facial expressions to understand better what they are saying with their hands. You also need to maintain closer eye contact with the people you are communicating with. Exercising yourself in this manner boosts your body language skills.

7. Overcome Vocal Language Limitations

   Lastly, you should consider learning this language because it beats all the limitations you may encounter with spoken languages. Sometimes it’s impossible to communicate with sound. For example, you can’t talk beneath water, when your mouth is full, or in a deafeningly noisy place. Under these circumstances, you need to wait before resuming or starting your conversations.

   However, sign language lets you talk to your friends under all the above circumstances. You can talk without fearing that you might disturb others with noises, especially in locations where silence is a must. For example, you and your friends can talk about a movie you are watching in a movie den without disturbing others.

   There you go with the seven leading reasons to learn sign language. The ball is in your court to venture into this silent beautiful language world and reap its benefits.