Learn BSL This New Year!
It’s mid January, so I presume that by now most people would have ironed out and begun to work towards their New Year’s resolution. However, if you find yourself still seeking an actionable goal for this year, may I put forward learning British Sign Language (BSL) for your consideration?
If I were Prime Minister for the day, the first thing I would do would be to introduce BSL into the National Curriculum. To be honest, I find it diabolical that someone has yet to do this??? Although, I suppose that is in keeping with our wildly ableist society.
Considering that Sign Language is some people’s only means of communication, learning even the basics of the language could potentially be the difference between life and death (not to be dramatic), and this is exactly why I spent 8- weeks last year completing an ‘Introduction to BSL’ course. It was easily one of the most enriching 8-weeks of my life (again, not to be dramatic) and the only thing that is standing between me and signing up for the ‘BSL Level 1’ course is the fact that it will cost me just shy of £700 and at present, my pockets are very shallow. Once the war is over, read: I have a job, please know that I will be back on the wagon and am manifesting passing my Level 5 exam in the near future.
What I enjoyed most about this course is that it is taught by a fully deaf teacher and so you are heavily encouraged/ instructed not to speak and only sign in the lesson. Whilst, this was terrifying at first the amount that it accelerates your learning really cannot be over emphasised. I took this course alongside 6 other wonderful souls who were all at various stages of hearing loss every Saturday morning from the beginning of October to the end of November. Unfortunately, it appears that the Saturday course is no longer available, but there are lots of other options so do check out the CityLit website.
Each week, the lesson was from 10:00 - 13:00 with a 20-minute break in the middle. Typically, the lesson would cover two topics: we would cover one topic before the break and one topic after. Samuel (my teacher), would first teach us the content and then we would practice as a group before splitting up into pairs to practice more intensely. When you enrol onto the course, you are automatically given a Google Classroom CityLit account so that you can access the teaching materials from home. However, due to the nature of BSL, the teaching materials are not interactive and so if you miss a week you will have to use the resources cited below to independently teach yourself the topic.
This is a beginner level course. You are not expected to have any prior knowledge of BSL before joining and will be taught accordingly.
It is hard to comment on the difficulty of the course as this is subjective, but I was so surprised at how quickly I picked it up! That being said, I am naturally a very animated speaker and always use my hands when talking so perhaps my hands were just excited to be doing something useful for a change.
If you do decide to enrol in the course make sure you pop into Sontag and order a Sea Salt Latte it’s *chef’s kiss* and the cafe is just around the corner from CityLit.
Below, I have listed some quick stats on the course as well as some other resources and cool stuff to check out if you fancy. I’m aware that the course is not cheap, but it is SO worthwhile and you really do get your money’s worth.
I had such a blast. Shout out to my gals Ruth and Jane, may our paths cross again! xx
P.S. through writing this post, I discovered that TikTok does not automatically put captions on videos, which means I have been posting since May without any captions- the irony after being so sanctimonious in the intro of this post. Rectified and reprimanded over here- it won’t happen again.
Course Name: Introduction to BSL
Location: CityLit, Keeley Street | 5 min walk from Holborn & Covent Garden stations
Course Duration: 8 sessions over 8 or 9 weeks
Price: £249.00 - £289.00 (depending on course duration)
Weekly Frequency of Courses: Monday (Daytime & Evening), Tuesday (Evening), Wednesday (Evening) & Friday (Daytime)
Course Programme: Week 1 | Introduction & Basic Deaf Awareness + Fingerspelling
Week 2 | Meeting People / Describing Family & Friends Structure
Week 3 | Using Numbers
Week 4 | Weather & Calendar
Week 5 | No Class, Half- Term Break
Week 6 | Transport
Week 7 | Colour & Clothes
Week 8 | Revision on Taught Topics / 5-minute Mock Test & Feedback / Explaining BSL Level 1 Course
Resources:
Sign BSL: Search and compare thousands of words and phrases in British Sign Language. The largest collection of video signs online.
BSL Sign Bank: BSL Dictionary
LumoTV: “Go-to destination for fresh, diverse, and innovative content that celebrates and connects with deaf and sign language communities everywhere.”
See Hear: Magazine for the deaf community highlighting the issues affecting the community.
Sign Post BSL: Britain’s biggest supplier of British Sign Language on-screen services for all platforms including TV, Film and Internet.
Other:
Dialogue Express Cafe, Stratford: Carpenters Dialogue Express Café is at Carpenters Estate, offering a unique space where coffee, conversation, and inclusion meet. Visitors are invited to place their orders using British Sign Language, with easy-to-follow guides throughout the space. The café fosters meaningful dialogue between Deaf and hearing communities, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all.
Sound of Metal the movie- It’s not BSL but features ASL since it is set in America and is a beautiful watch.
