It is estimated that there are more than 70 million deaf people in the world. Sign language is a type of natural language with which people who are deaf or have a hearing impairment can communicate.
In the next article we are going to tell you how can you learn sign language and put it into practice in an optimal way.
What is sign language?
Deaf people have been incorporating sign language into their daily lives, in order to be able to interact with their entire social environment. It is a totally natural language that in Spain is known as LSE and that is made up of various gestures and visual expressions. Gestures are also tactile, facilitating communication between deafblind people. Today, sign language is used by millions of people around the world, which is why it is of great importance.
Why is it important to learn sign language?
Although at first it may seem otherwise, deafness should not be a limitation for the proper development of the person, either at a cognitive or emotional level. Learning sign language is very beneficial for the person who suffers from deafness, apart from the development that they may have both at home and at school itself. In the case of deaf children, they can quickly learn sign language because it is completely natural and visual. In this way, the LSE becomes something essential in the daily life of people who suffer from said hearing ability, since it allows them to communicate with other people and feel capable of having as normal a life as possible.
Where can you learn sign language?
As with the vast majority of languages, in the case of sign language there are several levels depending on the difficulty. Specifically, there are four levels within sign language: A1, A2, B1 and B2. When learning this type of language, the person can choose to take one of the official courses, either in person or online, or do it freely by following various tutorials that exist throughout the Internet.
In relation to face-to-face courses, it must be said that throughout Spain you can find various centers where you can learn the language. The course can be done face-to-face, blended or remotely. The good thing about these courses is that the person can interact with other deaf people and practice the language in an optimal way.
In the case of opting for online courses, There are two really valid and apt possibilities:
- Signocampus is a platform to learn sign language either on the computer, on the mobile or on the tablet. On this platform you can find courses according to the different levels to learn. The person enrolled in some of these courses has access to thousands of activities and videos with which to improve their language.
- Signame is another platform created by professionals on the subject and that has the objective of ending the different barriers that exist today in the world of deafness. Thanks to this platform, people can learn sign language comfortably and at their own pace.
Another equally valid option as the previous ones and very followed today, is to learn sign language freely via Internet. On Youtube you will be able to see a multitude of tutorials that will help you manage without any problem in said language. Then we will talk about some of the channels that are most worthwhile:
- In Infosordos You can learn a good vocabulary regarding sign language and put it into practice in certain areas of day-to-day life, such as at work.
- Another really interesting channel are Sign language classes. Apart from being able to learn vocabulary of said language, you can learn other things like facial expression.
- easy LSE is another of the best channels on YouTube that can help you learn sign language. In this channel you have numerous videos that will help you to make various verbal forms.
Apart from the videos on Youtube, on the internet you can find a good multitude of websites where you can learn sign language:
- the CNSE foundation It has a large number of images and signs that you can download and learn.
- The website Aprenderlenguadesignos.com It is perfect and ideal when looking for learning materials and improving your language.
- One last website to recommend is LSE in the classroom. On this page you can find a large amount of material for the initiation in the language of children.
Benefits when learning sign language
It is not necessary to stay in the fact that sign language is a way of communicating between deaf people or those who have some type of hearing loss. There are many benefits that knowing sign language brings, both to deaf people and to hearing people themselves:
- Sign language is visual, hence it helps to improve both perception and visual field of the person in question.
- It has been possible to demonstrate that sign language can help the person improve your artistic skills as is the case with music.
- Handling sign language without problem can help the person to improve at the communicative level. Typically, the person who uses sign language is a good communicator and has good social skills.
- Good use of sign language has enormous benefits in terms of brain health: improves memory, mental agility and comprehension.