Sandy Roehig was 11 years old when she found herself enticed by the complexity of sign language after observing a conversation between a hearing-impaired sister and her best friend.

It wasn’t until years later, in adulthood, that the Amherst resident finally learned American Sign Language, and she’s sold on the idea.

"It’s amazing that you can communicate using your hands and actually talk with them," Roehig said. "You’re saying words, but with your hands and not just making gestures."

Like Mandarin is unique to parts of Asia, American Sign Language is most commonly practiced in North America and Canada. But Sweet Home Community Education ASL teacher Mauro Candino said it will not be a foreign language for much longer.

"It’s the third most spoken language in the U.S. after English and Spanish," Candino said. "And it’s getting more and more popular as time goes on. We have professionals, students, teachers, even a few young kids willing to learn to better communicate with hearing-impaired people."

A survey of state education departments by the Teachers College of Columbia University showed at least 701 public high schools offered sign language classes in 2004, up from 456 in 2000 and 185 in 1995.

Roehig said everyone should learn the language, or at least its basics.

"People will learn Spanish when they get older and things like that," she said. "And this is a whole different language. I think it should be offered as a second language."

ASL teachers say many students want to learn the language so they can better serve the deaf community and gain a skill that may give them a competitive edge in professions such as medicine, social work, counseling and emergency services.

North Tonawanda resident Laura Gullo said she wanted to be the permanent ASL interpreter at her church. As an English teacher at Sweet Home High School, however, the conceptual nature of the language is as exciting as reaching out from her church to a different niche in society.

"Socialization is so limited for (the deaf). If you have a church that has sign language, they’ll go," Gullo said. "It’s a whole new world of people. But there’s a real logic to (sign language). It’s fascinating."

By Ying Nee Ooi
http://www.tonawanda-news.com/schools/local_story_350091749.html