British Sign Language


What is British Sign Language (BSL)? 

Sign Language is a visual means of spatial representations, gestures, facial expressions, hand shapes and body language. BSL has been used by Deaf people and people with hearing difficulties for hundreds of years. In 2003, however British Sign Language was finally recognised as a minority language by the UK Government. Over the years there has been much controversy over whether BSL should or shouldn’t be used in the Deaf/deaf community. Some believed by using BSL, it isolated who a Deaf/deaf person could interact with and that by lip-reading it meant that a Deaf/deaf person could have exchanges with the hearing community. Others believed that BSL allowed Deaf/deaf people to develop a much more emotional, in-depth and expressive grasp of language. They also believed that whilst lip-reading suited some people this was not the case for all Deaf/deaf people.

You will have noticed that in the above passage the term "Deaf/deaf" people has been used quite a lot, this is because there are two categories of deaf people. Deaf (uppercase D) people are persons who have had a significant loss of hearing since birth and who have been raised in the Deaf community. They see BSL as their first language and generally socialise in the Deaf community. People who are deaf (lowercase d), are people who have lost their hearing after they were born and/or who were brought up in the hearing community. Often a deaf person will socialise in the hearing and deaf community and they will usually consider English (or another spoken language) their first language. However dependant on their loss of hearing, they may rely on sign language more than they do their spoken language.

It is worth taking note that BSL is a nationally recognised language, in other parts of the world they have their own sign language, for example America’s is ASL and Australia AUSLAN. 



Baby Sign and BSL

So what does this mean for Sign and Smile's baby and preschool signing? Our baby sign is based on BSL but is for hearing babies and children. The signs have been easily adapted for those smaller hands and less coordinated skills. BSL users use constant signs to communicate, where as baby signers use just particular words. Some baby signs have been taken straight from BSL where as some have been adapted. An important difference with BSL and Baby Sign is that when using baby sign you always say the spoken word.

There are also regional variations to consider, as with BSL. This is actually the same with spoken language too. What a spoken word can mean in one part of the country does not always mean the same in another part and this is the same in signing. So don't be worried if your learning to sign and you find your friends or family are using different signs to you!  This can simply be because of regional variations. 



Mr Tumble

If you haven’t seen Mr Tumble from Cbeebies, you’ve probably at least heard of him. Mr Tumble actually uses Makaton, not BSL or baby sign. Makaton is used to help people communicate with manual signs, graphic symbols and speech. Makaton signs are not the same as BSL and Baby Sign, so again don't be concerned if your learning to sign and you find that your signs are different to Mr Tumble.


So why use Baby Sign over Makaton? 

Sign and Smile uses Baby Sign and the methods of Dr Joseph Garcia, because we believe that in teaching children and adults to learn to sign using BSL or adapted baby signs, we are actually teaching people part of a second language that may be useful in later life. Sign and Smile would also like to think that it is giving hearing communities an insight in to the deaf communities and hopefully contributes in some way towards deaf awareness. Also more D/deaf children are being integrated into mainstream schools, by teaching your little one’s using BSL methods, we believe that this can create a better relationship and understanding between both hearing and non hearing children.

 

For more information on the Deaf Community click on the links below:

National Deaf Children's Society 
RNID
Deaf Sign
BSL Infoweb


BSL On-line Course

Sign and Smile would like to give their personal recommendation to a company called Communicating Hands.  Our Baby Sign Workshop Teacher was given the priviledge of trialling their amazing on-line BSL course.  You can enrol on this course to compliment a BSL Level One qualification or if you just want to learn more about British Sign Language and become a BSL user yourself.  Visit their fantastic website Communicating Hands and see for yourself!