Autoworkers learn sign language hoping connection with deaf colleagues improves work and lives

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Category: Business

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. break down barriers / breɪk daʊn ˈbær i ərs / (idiom) – to improve communication and understanding between a group of people by removing challenges
    Example:

    Learning different languages can help break down barriers between people from different countries.


  2. deafness / dɛf nɛs / (n.) – the condition of being unable to hear anything, fully or partly
    Example:

    The new hearing aid helps students with deafness.


  3. grow out of (something) / groʊ aʊt ʌv / (phrasal v.) – to develop something because of another event or situation
    Example:

    The idea for the new travel show grew out of the director’s visits to different countries.


  4. overhaul / ˌoʊ vərˈhɔl / (v.) – to completely change a system, process, or method to improve or make it better
    Example:

    The government will overhaul the education system to meet the needs of the children today.


  5. tidbit / ˈtɪdˌbɪt / (n.) – a small piece of news, interesting information, etc.
    Example:

    She introduces herself by sharing a tidbit about what she does.


Article

Read the text below.

One doesn’t need to know sign language to understand what Michael Connolly feels about his colleagues’ efforts to break down the barriers posed by his deafness.


When asked what he thought of his teammates’ decision to learn British Sign Language (BSL), the 45-year-old autoworker at the Nissan plant in Sunderland, England, grinned and flashed a universal symbol: two thumbs up.


Connolly loves having the chance to banter with his workmates, to talk about everyday things—the kids, vacation plans, a TV program. And now he can, because the entire 25-member bumper-paint team at Sunderland started learning BSL at the beginning of the year.


“I’m glad they have all learned sign language for us because I can talk and I lipread the hearing person, but I have my limits,” Connolly signed in an interview with The Associated Press. “If you reverse the situation and the hearing person can sign and speak, they have no limits.’”


The initiative grew out of a broader effort to improve efficiency at the Sunderland plant, which makes Qashqai and Juke sport utility vehicles. While Nissan took steps to overhaul training and increase the use of visual aids during briefings, the bumper-paint team decided to go a step further and learn sign language, said supervisor John Johnson.


Connolly is one of four hearing-impaired people assigned to the team, which works in a less bustling area of the plant where it is safer for workers who can’t hear the sound of an approaching vehicle.


Johnson said the thought of mastering the combination of gestures, facial expressions and body language that comprise BSL was daunting. But it helped him understand what life was like for Connolly and the other deaf workers as they tried to learn their jobs and fit into a team without having the ability to share the personal tidbits that build friendships.


“So as a team, we thought, ‘how can we knock that barrier down?’ And obviously, sign language was the solution or at least the start of an opportunity,” Johnson said.


This article was provided by The Associated Press. 


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Learning BSL was difficult for Connolly’s colleagues, but eventually, it helped them build stronger relationships with their hearing-impaired colleagues. What do you think about learning sign language or other languages to improve communication at work? How beneficial would this be to employees? Discuss.
  • Do you think companies should invest in teaching sign language to their employees? Why or why not? In your line of work, do you think it’s possible to hire hearing-impaired employees? What support do you think they would need? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • There used to be a communication barrier between Connolly and his colleagues, but it’s gone now because they learned BSL. How do you think communication barriers affect work and relationships in the workplace? What would you do in a situation in which there is a communication barrier between you and a colleague? Discuss.
  • What are the benefits of breaking barriers at the workplace? Aside from the workplace, in what situations or settings is it necessary to break barriers (ex. in school, when different countries cooperate)? Discuss.