Why learn New Zealand Sign Language?
There are many reasons for learning NZSL. Learning NZSL can be a positive and enriching experience for both deaf and hearing people of any age. A knowledge of NZSL enables anyone to participate in the Deaf community. Both Deaf and hearing children of Deaf parents gain a sense of belonging in the Deaf community by learning NZSL.
Because most deaf children are born to hearing parents, many Deaf people who use NZSL come from families who do not sign. This means that deaf children, in the crucial first years of language acquisition, are not exposed to language role models within their families in the same way that hearing children are, and so language acquisition does not occur incidentally. On the other hand, most Deaf parents have hearing children. These children may also have an atypical pattern of language acquisition. They often have NZSL as their first language, even though they are not deaf.
Research shows that the acquisition of a first language assists in the development of subsequent languages and that children who have more than one language are cognitively more advantaged than monolingual children. Deaf children who have NZSL as a strong first-language base are likely to be in a better position to develop skills in reading and writing English as a second language than those who do not. Possessing good English literacy skills is crucial for success in New Zealand’s educational environment.
For hearing learners who wish to learn a second or subsequent language, NZSL is another option alongside the spoken languages offered by their school. Being able to sign NZSL enables learners to communicate with their Deaf peers and may also lead to career opportunities that involve working with Deaf people.
Learning another language can improve performance in the learner’s first language and is highly recommended not only for students who have particular strengths in language learning but also for those who find languages and language-related activities challenging. Enjoyment and a sense of achievement are likely to provide the strongest motivation for learning in the early years.
By learning NZSL, young New Zealanders can:
- become confident in communicating with users of NZSL as their first language
- learn to appreciate Deaf culture
- broaden their understanding of people and their languages and cultures
- learn more about their first language (if it is not NZSL) through becoming aware of how it resembles, and differs from, NZSL
- develop skills, attitudes, and understandings that will assist them in learning other languages
- broaden their range of employment options.
In world terms, NZSL is used by a small number of people. Teachers and learners of NZSL have an important role in strengthening and maintaining the vitality of the language and in contributing to the protection of linguistic diversity worldwide.