Sunday, October 28, 2012
Chapter 20: Should ASL Count as a Foreign Language?
Well I certainly think it should; I'm taking it for my foreign language. The only argument of the list presented (ASL is not a language; ASL is not foreign; ASL has no culture; ASL has no literature) that I think has any worth is the ASL has no literature argument simply because it is the only argument on that list which is remotely true. I think the writers' claims that it could eventually develop a written form are a little far-fetched. If the deaf community deviated from English as their system to communicate through writing and reading, they would completely seal themselves off from communicating with the English-speaking world, and that is a rather lonely idea as there is not exactly a plentiful number of ASL users to communicate with. There is also the point that it is simply easier to not change things and continue to read and write in English. I think it is silly to say that it does not count as a foreign language simply because there is no widely-used written form, however. Not having to include literature in the curriculum gives more time to more thoroughly learn the key interactive communication components to the language.
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