I learned sign language on the sly in the oral school therefore I can't answer this question myself. I have often wondered how hard it is for a hearing person to learn sign language and how long it take them to be really good. I also would like to hear from deaf people who learned sign langage after high school, too. I have seen many hearing people sign - some good and some lousy. Once a woman told me that it is very hard. I've noticed that like foreign languages, it is best to learn a different language while young.