After years of debate, some Boston University colleges are considering American Sign Language as an equal foreign language so students can take it to fulfill their requirements.
Few doubt that sign language is in fact its own language. It may be visual instead of spoken or written, but students must study it just as they would when learning French, Spanish or any other language. And, in the same way, there are various dialects of many languages, there are different versions of sign language to coordinate with a country’s way of speaking — for example, ASL greatly differs from Japanese Sign Language.
But it is the culture attached to ASL that people question. In studying any language, one of the biggest components of the class is to learn about culture.
ASL has a rich culture, making it worthy of study. Along with the form of communication comes a very distinct lifestyle that connects the people affected by hearing losses.
And the Deaf Community defends its culture passionately. At Gallaudet University, where many hard-of-hearing students choose to learn, students and faculty protested incoming president Jane Fernandes because she did not learn sign language until she was in her twenties. Protesters felt this rendered her unable to tackle the problems the Deaf Community faces, like discrimination, according to an Oct. 30, 2006 PBS article. If it is worthy of such pride, the Deaf Culture clearly runs deep.
Some argue that the Deaf Community lacks traditions because culture is regionally based. However, it doesn’t have to be — religions, like languages, have their own customs and are not limited by geographical boundaries.
ASL certainly is not regional. In fact, it is the opposite — approximately 500,000 to 2 million people use ASL as their primary language in the United States, according to the Wisconsin Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. This may not compare to the approximately 10 percent of native Spanish speakers in the United States, according to the U.S. Census bureau, but it is still too large to ignore.
Ultimately, the goal of studying any language is for students to learn about a culture they were not previously informed about. When hearing students learn ASL, they will become familiar with not only how the hearing impaired communicate, but how they live their lives.
BU should make ASL equivalent to all languages it offers, across the board. That includes eliminating the proficiency exam the College of Arts and Sciences requires before receiving credit for ASL. As the only language to have an exit exam, ASL has an unnecessary distinction.
ASL is not only a rich language, but it is part of a rich culture. The university must see the signs and give ASL the credit it deserves.