American Sign Language (ASL) has been added as one of the world language courses offered for the 2011-2012 school year.
This non-verbal language, which is the fourth most commonly used in the world, has become a popular choice for students around the county and is currently offered at other high schools including Wootton and Quince Orchard.
“Taking ASL is beneficial because knowing any new language, including sign language, opens you up to a whole new cultural experience and can benefit your future career,” world language resource teacher Stacey Steele-Yue said.
According to one CHS guidance counselor, ASL is an interesting choice for students who do not want to take French, Chinese or Spanish, and the staff believes many students will sign up.
For ASL to be added as an actual class, 25 students need to be registered in order to hire a teacher. 
Students may take ASL for a minimum of one semester or a maximum of two years.
According to Steele-Yue, ASL can help students learn a new and potentially useful skill that sets them apart.  Many jobs have a workforce that includes hearing-impaired people, and high school graduates with experience in ASL could work with translation at courts, hospitals, theatres or concerts. Students may apply for internships involving sign language as well.
According to Steele-Yue, in the last 10 years the number of students taking ASL in the country has increased by almost 400 percent.  A  school survey displayed that 45 out of 50 students would consider ASL as an elective or as a replacement for the world language in which they are currently enrolled.
“I’ve always wanted to take sign language and now I finally have the opportunity to explore the language,” sophomore Megan Peabody said.
The course is receiving a lot of attention from students and teachers.
“ASL is not an honors class,” Steele-Yue said. “It is a nice option for students who do not want to take a spoken language and who are interested in pursuing careers that might involve interpreting or helping others.”