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By Leow Si Wan
MORE people here are picking up another language: signing.
At the Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf), the take-up for sign language classes has jumped in the past year.
The last term of the year, which started last month, drew 17 classes. It is a spike of more than 50 per cent over the same period last year.
The classes are conducted from January to October every year, with each term lasting two months.
The overall number of participants in a year has also jumped more than 40 per cent, from 1,067 last year to more than 1,500 this year.
Most of the participants are from the hearing community, said the association's executive director, Mr Ando Yeo.
He cited several reasons for the increased interest in sign language.
'It is hip,' he said. 'Also, sign language is a visual language and can work extremely well in a noisy environment. As long as you can see a person signing, communication can take place.'
He added that others sign up to interact with deaf and hard-of-hearing family members and friends, and also because they want to volunteer their services to the deaf. Some, he added, go on to pursue sign language interpreters' positions with SADeaf.
While all these reasons were in the past, the association has been actively promoting sign language as a mode of communication over the past couple of years.
There are about 35,000 people here who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Courses are open to anyone who is proficient in English and at least 16 years old. Fees start at $12 for two three-hour sessions for the introductory level, and are $85 for six lessons at the advanced stage.
'Demand is rising so quickly that we have to increase the number of classes each week. We used to have classes on three weekday evenings, but we are conducting classes on weekends now.'
Classes are conducted at the association's two-storey premises in Mountbatten Road.
SADeaf is now in talks to offer classes at public libraries and other institutes of higher learning to cope with the increased demand.
For Ms Felicia Chia, the desire to communicate with her ex-boyfriend's deaf parents was what made her pick up sign language earlier this year.
Said the 21-year-old business undergraduate at the Singapore Management University: 'We broke up but I decided to continue because I found lessons interesting. It is not just about gestures, as your facial expressions and body language also contribute to the tone of your message.
'I also realised that there is a lack of interpreters for the deaf community so I hope this is where I can contribute when I have completed the course.'
This article was first published in The Straits Times.
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