American Sign Language (ASL) by Neena

American Sign Language (ASL) by Neena - September 2019 Scholarship Essay

If I had the opportunity to create a high school extracurricular activity, it would be an American Sign Language Club. The story of Helen Keller, being deaf, blind, and mute, inspired me at an early age when I was assigned a report on her life. Keller, who should've had no sense of communication, was able to not only learn the English language but also perfect the art well enough to graduate college. ASL didn't exist during Keller's time, which only furthered my amazement of her skills.

The language barrier and I had never met before a couple of months ago when I attended a wedding in Italy. I boarded a train to Lake Como before realizing I knew only the English translation of my destination. For a one-stop train, this would be no problem, but the train was set to stop periodically throughout the trip, according to six dots pinpointed on the map. Panic set in as the doors flew open and a name that I had no understanding of flashed across the destination sign. To my left sat a woman and her children. They seemed to be prepared for an outing on the town. I didn't want to bother her as she seemed to be busy comforting the crying child in the stroller, but I also didn't want to miss my exit and lose myself deeper in the city. Only about ten percent of Italians speak English, and there was an even slimmer chance I'd sat next to one of them in the heart of Italy, but it was worth a shot.

"Excuse me, miss. Do you know what exit this is?" I asked desperately. The crinkle that formed in her brow answered my question immediately. She had no clue what I'd asked. I bit my lip with angst, scanning my surroundings for anything I could point out. Then began an undeclared game of charades. I grabbed my water bottle and found myself making questionable hand gestures in hopes one of them would suggest the word lake. Unfortunately, I had no luck. Three stops and a crowd of confused faces later, I arrived at my destination, according to a large sign that read "Lake Como" under the Italian translation. I thanked the people who'd crowded around to help in the politest way I knew how, with a bow, before exiting the train.

Still, that moment stuck with me throughout the week. Though people surrounded me, at that moment, I felt secluded. Was it because of a lack of understanding? I started to wonder. What about those who don't understand any spoken language? Do they feel this way as well? When I arrived home, I researched the topic and learned more about American Sign Language (ASL), a visual language used among deaf communities to convey information. This is done through a series of hand movements and facial expressions. It reminded me of what I'd done on the train. My interpretation wasn't ASL in the slightest, but the concepts held similarities.

Since discovering my newfound interest in sign language, I've put in a solid effort to learn the art. However, some questions simply can not be satisfied with Youtube videos. I asked around my foreign language department for help regarding ASL but was disappointed to learn that my school does not house such a club. For this reason, if given the opportunity, I would create my own. In my American Sign Language club, members would not only learn ASL but also explore the deaf culture more in-depth. Sign language differs depending on the region, but ASL is the most common visual language used in the U.S., where I live. Access to a club of this sort would be helpful to those like me who want to learn more about the language, whether it be out of interest or need to communicate with someone who is a part of the deaf community.