Is American Sign Language Slowly Dying Out?

 

For the past six months, American Sign Language interpreters have become a common sight on American TV screens. This would suggest that sign language is thriving in America. However, some believe that American Sign Language might be on the brink of extinction. 

Is ASL under threat? Here, we’ll attempt to answer this question by looking at a few key facts. 

Why Do Some People Believe that American Sign Language is Under Threat?

At Languagers, we take great pride in providing ASL interpreters to businesses and government agencies all across the United States. We are also a vocal proponent of ASL as a fantastic communication tool for bridging the silence between America’s deaf community and the rest of society. 

Sadly, as passionate as we are about American Sign Language, even we have to admit that ASL might not survive the current century. – At least, not as we know it. 

American Sign Language Could be Superseded by Technology

By far the biggest potential threat to ASL is technology.  

In a recent blog post, we detailed how tech giants like Google are attempting to create real-time ASL to spoken English translation apps.  However, we also colluded that apps likely won’t put ASL translators out of business anytime soon. Sadly, though, we can’t say the same for other forms of technology. 

If they deliver as promised, inventions like Elon Musk’s Neuralink, might well one day make American Sign Language obsolete. After all, who will need to use ASL if people can communicate non-verbally via a brain-to-brain wifi connection? 

One Day This Century We Might Have a Cure for Deafness

Naturally, there are likely millions of deaf and non-hearing impaired American’s who would prefer not to have Elon Musk microchip them if they can help it. However, as well as technological advances in cybernetics, we also need to consider the possibility of major medical breakthroughs. 

In 2019, researchers at Harvard found a potential cure for one of the most common forms of deafness. Specifically, by finding a way to regrow hair cells in the ear that see us experience hearing loss as we age or after exposure to loud noise. 

If scientists can already restore these cells today, it is not unreasonable to suspect that a universal cure for deafness might appear sometime before 2100. 

Can American Sign Language Survive Major Societal Changes?

Putting technology aside for a moment, it is easy to look at the present (where ASL interpreters are more visible than previously), and assume that Amerian Sign Language is healthier than it has ever been. Sadly, though, this isn’t strictly true. 

At present, politicians are making ASL interpreters stars of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, year on year sine 2011, many of the same politicians have scuppered funding for ASL schools and resources in several states. This has resulted in significant stress for many deaf people. 

Will American Sign Language Ever Go Completely Extinct?

At Languagers, we hope that ASL is with us for as long as spoken English is. If you do too, you might, therefore, want to research the history of budget cuts to ASL services in your area. If there is a similar pattern to that in places like Chicago, you might then want to consider helping your local deaf community hold politicians to account post-Covid-19.