This reasoning as to “why you should learn sign language” is just about the benefits of sign language.
A proper explanation of why you should do X compares the benefits of doing X to the costs of doing X, and compares the sum of the benefits and costs to the opportunity cost of not doing something else. (Learning Japanese? Reading a few dozen books in the 4 years? Doing leisure activities over a four year period?)
I mean, fair enough, but I can’t weigh it up against every other opportunity available to you on your behalf. I did try to compare it to learning other languages. I’ll toss into the post that I also think it’s comparatively easy to learn.
Your post only really compares it to other languages for the purpose of saying “yes, it really is a language”. Not for deciding whether learning another language would be better than learning it.
I can’t weigh it up against every other opportunity available to you on your behalf.
I’m not expecting you to compare it to every single possibility, but it does take a lot of time, and that’s something you need to take into account—the opportunity cost is huge, and you’re really glossing over it. There are a lot of things you can do in four years other than learn ASL.
This reasoning as to “why you should learn sign language” is just about the benefits of sign language.
A proper explanation of why you should do X compares the benefits of doing X to the costs of doing X, and compares the sum of the benefits and costs to the opportunity cost of not doing something else. (Learning Japanese? Reading a few dozen books in the 4 years? Doing leisure activities over a four year period?)
I mean, fair enough, but I can’t weigh it up against every other opportunity available to you on your behalf. I did try to compare it to learning other languages. I’ll toss into the post that I also think it’s comparatively easy to learn.
Your post only really compares it to other languages for the purpose of saying “yes, it really is a language”. Not for deciding whether learning another language would be better than learning it.
I’m not expecting you to compare it to every single possibility, but it does take a lot of time, and that’s something you need to take into account—the opportunity cost is huge, and you’re really glossing over it. There are a lot of things you can do in four years other than learn ASL.