find your perfect postgrad program
Search our Database of 30,000 Courses


Posted July 23, 2014

Students: Should You Learn Sign Language?

Your average graduate has absorbed an impressive number of skills as part of their degree course and extracurricular activities. From data analysis in the physical Sciences to description and reasoning in language and literature courses, many of these skills are imparted to the student naturally as they progress through their course, however there is always the opportunity for students to learn fresh and unrelated skills when they have the time.

Some of these postgraduate skills are fairly trivial (but still useful), while others take much more time to learn, and yet for that extra effort you can achieve a highly positive impact on your opportunities and progress as a postgraduate – and the skill we shall focus on here is sign language. Let's have a look at the skill of sign language and see whether it is worthwhile for you to have.

The Benefits Are Many There are many advantages to learning sign language, but the overall worth of learning such a skill depends on what you choose to pursue in your professional life. Like learning any new language, learning sign language exercises your mind and improves your knowledge base. Learning a new language is challenging in many different ways, but this is good because it keeps your mind active and engaged – so learning a skill like sign language in your spare time will help to improve your performance within your field of study. There are many studies which affirm the cognitive benefits of learning a new language, and postgraduate students need all the cognitive benefits they can get!

Getting Involved and Helping Communities More specific to sign language as opposed to learning a new language in general, another advantage of sign language is that it allows you to communicate with people that you would not normally be able to communicate with. There are over 120,000 deaf adults in the UK that use British Sign Language to communicate, and many more around the world besides, however in comparison to the spoken languages sign language is very much in the minority. By learning sign language you can get involved with deaf people and communities, and offer greater diversity and inclusivity. Because it is spoken by so few people in the general public, deaf people can often only communicate with family members, support workers and close friends, so becoming proficient in the language really helps to improve diversity and allow deaf people to see beyond their immediate family and social circles. It's also very useful if you do volunteer work - as it's the equivalent of knowing any other additional language!

Think About Where You Are Going The reality of sign language is that you are probably not going to learn it unless you have a reason to use it. So if you are asking yourself whether you should learn it, think about your academic background and where you want to go next. Do you want to make a difference in the lives of deaf people? Does your area of study involve working with deaf or disabled people, or is it in a relevant area of the life sciences? Or are you simply friends with people who are deaf? In either of these cases the answer could well be yes. Even if the answer is no, you may still find it worthwhile - it's a language that many people don't know, so it's a big advantage to have when applying for jobs. Whether you are planning your summer as a postgrad or are well into your thesis, thinking about these things well in advance will really help you make the right decision.

Related articles

Leave a comment