You don’t have to know sign language to understand how Michael Connolly feels about his coworkers. They learned sign language to connect with him. And he gives that two thumbs up! 

Mr. Connolly is deaf. He works at a Nissan plant in Sunderland, England. All 25 of his teammates in the bumper-painting department decided to learn British Sign Language (BSL). Now they chat with him about many things—kids, vacation plans, a TV program.  

 “I’m glad they have all learned sign language,” Mr. Connolly says. “I can talk and I lipread the hearing person, but I have my limits.” 

Four hearing-impaired people are on the bumper-painting team. The team works in an area of the plant that is safer for workers who can’t hear the sound of an approaching vehicle. 

John Johnson supervises the team. He thought learning BSL was tough. But he says it helped him understand what life is like for deaf workers. These workers must try to fit into a team without being able to chat to 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,’’ he says.  

Many sign language speakers feel lonely at work. Even the best lip readers miss more than half of conversations.  

Research shows that kindness in the workplace helps people work harder. Learning a new language is a powerful act of kindness. It’s one that helps the hearing and the deaf at the same time! 

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. — Colossians 4:6 

Why? We can show love to others by learning their languages. That shows that we know they are valuable to us—just as they are to God.