ASL should be a class in school. ASL provides a new way to communicate that is not held to one language. It is a useful skill that can give many benefits and maybe even possible job opportunities in the future, the same way that a spoken language would give. One can even argue that it’s such a useful skill that it should be counted as a language credit. I have high confidence that if ASL was offered as a class, it would be very popular among students and would be well worth taking because of the rich knowledge one can take away from being in the class.

In today’s world, disabilities hold less strain on one’s life thanks to modern medicine. It makes knowledge, transportation, and communication accessible to those with disabilities. One of these changes is sign language.

 According to languages.org, “Studying ASL promotes better awareness of and sensitivity to the deaf and hard of hearing community. As someone proficient in ASL, you will develop a strong appreciation for the deaf culture, and you can promote understanding and acceptance of the language among others. ”Learning sign language is not just a skill, but also a way to appreciate the deaf community and also be more outwardly accepting of those who are disabled.

ASL is already provided as a club in most schools, but ASL would prosper more as a class because of the constructed curriculum. The constructed curriculum gives the student an incentive to invest in themself to keep their grade up and keep up with their class. Being provided as a class would bring more awareness to ASL because if you’re asking someone to take time out of their day, they would be more hesitant than if it was an elective credit during school hours.

In conclusion, ASL should be taught as a class because of the rare skills it provides and the inclusion it brings to those in the deaf community.