What are the disadvantages of sign language communication?

Answer 1

One huge disadvantage is that not everyone knows sign language. But then not everyone knows French, Spanish, etc either. :-)

Another is that you have to be within line of sight, so you can't have a conversation in sign language when a person is in the other room, or while watching television or doing crafts or other things that require you to look away.

Another answer:There are many misconceptions concerning deaf people and sign language. Let us clear up some of them. Deaf people can drive automobiles. Lipreading is extremely difficult for them. Sign language has nothing in common with Braille, and it is not simply pantomime. There is not one universal sign language. Moreover, deaf people do have regional accents when signing.

Can deaf people read? While some read well, the truth is that the vast majority of the deaf struggle with reading. Why? Because what is on the printed page originates from a spoken language. Consider how a child with the ability to hear learns a language. From the moment the child is born, he is surrounded by people who speak the local tongue. In a short time, he is able to string words together and form sentences. This comes naturally just from hearing the language spoken. Thus, when hearing children begin to read, it is a matter of learning that the black marks on the page correspond to the sounds and words they already know.

Now imagine yourself in a foreign country in a soundproof room made of glass. You have never heard the local language spoken. Each day, the local people come to you and try to speak to you through the glass. You cannot hear what they are saying. You see only that their lips are moving. Realizing that you do not understand them, they write those same words on a piece of paper and show you through the glass what they have written. They think that you must be able to understand it. How well do you think you would do? You would find communication nearly impossible in this situation. Why? Because what is written represents a language that you have never heard spoken. This is precisely the situation in which most deaf people find themselves.

Sign language is a perfect vehicle for deaf people. A person uses signs to set up concepts in the space surrounding his body. His movements in that space along with his facial expressions follow the rules of grammar of sign language. Thus emerges a visual language that makes it possible to convey information to the eyes.

In fact, almost every move a deaf person makes with his hands, body, and face while signing has meaning. Facial expressions are not made just for the sake of dramatic impact. They are an integral part of the grammar of sign language. To illustrate: Asking a question with the eyebrows raised could indicate either a rhetorical question or one that elicits a yes or no answer. If eyebrows are lowered, this could indicate a who, what, where, when, why, or how question. Certain mouth movements may suggest the size of an object or the intensity of an action. The way a deaf person moves his head, lifts his shoulders, twitches his cheeks, and blinks his eyes all add subtle shades of meaning to the thought being conveyed.

These elements combine to create a linguistic feast for the eyes. Using this rich form of expression, deaf people who know sign language well are equipped to convey any concept-from poetic to technical, from romantic to humorous, from concrete to abstract. Information found in Awake magazine on Jehovah's Witnesses official website.

Answer 2

Some potential disadvantages of sign language communication include limited accessibility for those who are not fluent in sign language, challenges in learning and teaching sign language due to its complexity, and potential communication barriers for individuals who use different sign language systems. Additionally, some may perceive sign language as a lesser form of communication compared to spoken languages.