British Sign Language for Beginners – Course 1

British Sign Language (BSL) is the primary language used by the Deaf community in the UK, and is used by over 150,000 people. Recognised as an official language in 2003, instead of sound, it is produced via movement of the hands, face and body.

My name is Tom and I am a undergraduate studying English Language and Linguistics. I am also currently completing my level 3 qualification in British Sign Language. Though I am not fluent – meaning I am not at an interpreter’s level – I am proficient enough to teach you the topics included on this course.

In this class, I will take you through some of the important fundamentals of BSL. We will cover:

• The benefits of learning BSL – this is intended to help you stay motivated when learning this challenging, yet fascinating language.

• The alphabet – we start with the vowels, before going through each letter individually at a reasonable pace. There are opportunities for you to practice both your productive and receptive skills.

• Asking simple questions – we go over question words, such as who and where, as well as other examples of questions such as asking what the time is.

• How to introduce yourself – this includes phrases you might need when meeting somebody for the first time, such as saying hello, asking how somebody is and giving your name.

• Asking for clarification – in other words, what to do when you don’t understand something!

• How to end a conversation – this includes simple phrases that you might need when you are saying goodbye to somebody.

This course is aimed at complete beginners. However, please note that this course is only suitable for those interested in learning the sign language that is used in the UK. It is not suitable for those interested in learning other sign languages, such as American Sign Language (ASL) or Irish Sign Language (ISL), as these are vastly different.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the class!

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