ASL, American Sign Language, is something that seems foreign to many speakers and it should. ASL is in fact a foreign language. For years members of the deaf community have advocated ASL's inclusion into school curriculum as a foreign language. After years of debate, two major universities in the U.S. have included it in their curriculum as a foreign language. I learned all this on Saturday night, after the storms passed, from a drunk but enlightened ex-army man.
The conversation then turned to how he used ASL in his life. He told his story. He was once married to a woman whose parents were deaf. He learned the language. He taught his three daughters, etc. My interest peaked in how he could communicate with his children when they were still unable to form words.
He said something to the effect of, "Some parents are like, "Oh, my kid's crying" and then they ask "What do you want" and of course they don't answer so then they're like, "Oh, you must need a spanking" and really all they wanted was for you to change their piss filled diaper, but what do they know?"
He showed us some signs to teach small children so that they can communicate with you before they can speak. You can see some examples here.
He also explained that he has three daughters, and let's not try to cover it up, girls can be real catty from time to time. He said that their knowledge of ASL keeps most arguments silent and it improves their home's ambiance not being subject to yelling. Needless to say Regina and I were on board for teaching our future children these things. So we went home and started to look things up. As drunk as that guy was he was also on to something and I'm glad he shared it with us. So, after careful consideration I say to you, don't be so quick to discount what drunk people are saying, it may prove quite useful in your life. (Drink only in moderation)