BSL Christmas Terms – Cath Smith – Let’s Sign Series
BSL Adult Graphics by British Sign british-sign.co.uk and signlanguageforum.com
Helpful BSL Links and Resources
Assembled by Clark Meeder for Lambeth Virtual School
Video Resources BSL Zone https://www.bslzone.co.uk/watch/ YouTube www.youtube.com YT Search: Exeter Deaf Academy (features many tutorial videos) YT Search: Jessica Kellgren-Fozard (deaf and disabled vlogger, has several BSL tutorials) YT Search: DeafDirect Beginners Vocabulary (covers many basic signs) Deaf Culture and News The Limping Chicken https://limpingchicken.com/ The Buzz https://www.buzz.org.uk/ British Deaf News https://www.britishdeafnews.co.uk/ Books and Reading Let’s Sign series http://www.deafbooks.co.uk/ BSL Video Dictionaries SignBSL https://www.signbsl.com/ BSL Sign Bank http://bslsignbank.ucl.ac.uk/ BSL Photo Dictionary British Sign Dictionary http://www.british-sign.co.uk/british-sign-language/dictionary/ Phone Applications (Availability may depend on the model of your phone) Search in your App Store: BSL Fingerspelling (free) Search in your App Store: Sign BSL (free) BSL Courses British Sign (offers online courses, individual and/or group) https://www.british-sign.co.uk/ Signature https://www.signature.org.uk/british-sign-language Colleges, universities, clubs, and other facilities also provide BSL lessons. Check your local area! Online Games – Fingerspelling Practice Sign Language Forum Fingerspelling Game https://www.signlanguageforum.com/bsl/fingerspelling/fingerspelling-game/ Sign Bank Spelling Practice http://bslsignbank.ucl.ac.uk/spell/practice.html
Free Printable/Downloadable Useful PDFs Action Hearing Loss Learning BSL Beginners Pamphlet https://www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk//media/ahl/documents/publications/factsheets-and-leaflets/leaflets/learning-british-sign-languageleaflet.pdf Deaf Support BSL Grammar PDF http://www.deafsupport.org.uk/grammar-l3.pdf British Sign Left and Right Handed Fingerspelling Alphabet Charts PDFs https://www.britishsign.co.uk/fingerspelling-alphabet-charts/ British Sign Basic Greetings Chart PDF https://www.british-sign.co.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2015/10/Greetings-Signs-British-Sign-Language.pdf School of Sign Language Every Day Signs PDF http://www.schoolofsignlanguage.com/wpcontent/uploads/premium/Handouts-School-Of-Sign-Language.pdf Let’s Sign Free Download PDFs http://www.deafbooks.co.uk/Free-Downloads_B5-5.aspx UCL PowerPoint PDF on BSL https://royalsociety.org/~/media/events/2013/2013-02-28-BencieWoll-presentation.pdf Building Sign Bank Linguistic Study of BSL Structure PDF http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1437532/7/FenlonCormierSchembri_BuildingBSLSignBank_IJL_inpress_co mpressed.pdf Miscellaneous Links British Deaf Association Help and Resources https://bda.org.uk/help-resources/ Deaf Workmate Introduction to BSL Basics http://www.deafworkmate.org/ Sign World Learner’s Handbook https://www.signworldlearn.com/learners/page/learnershandbook.html BDA Quick History of BSL http://old-bda.org.uk/What_We_Do/BSL_History Sign Solutions BSL Interpreters https://www.signsolutions.uk.com/ Makaton Resources
Above sign images from Action on Hearing Loss pamphlet (listed in PDFS section of links list)
Signs can help people (especially young people or those with a range of communication difficulties) communicate important ideas or explain/describe things they wouldn’t ordinarily be able to, or feel uncomfortable saying verbally. BSL, SSL, and Makaton signs (when appropriate) can all be useful as a communication method. Even basic signs such as those pictured above can provide crucial signed terminology to allow a child to express themselves, wants or needs, or express important details in certain situations.
Important Terms and Notes on British Sign Language and Signed Communication By Clark Meeder for Lambeth Virtual School BSL –British Sign Language – Every country has its own sign language. Some are somewhat mutually intelligible (like ASL and FSL due to shared history through Gallaudet), and others are not mutually intelligible at all. There is no universal sign language, but nearly every sign language has localised variations. In BSL, for example, Manchester area uses a notably different numbers/counting system. Be prepared to allow for regional differences in sign languages. Note: BSL only obtained official recognition as a language in 2003. Historically, BSL has been actively supressed and Deaf/deaf people of a certain age may display poor signing skills as a result of this oppression and mass attempts to discredit/force disuse of the language, as well as systemic abuse of people using sign language. Be mindful of Deaf community issues and concerns, many of which stem from prolonged poor treatment in schools, medical settings, work settings, etc. BSL also uses a very different grammar structure from Spoken English, and this may present further communication issues if a Deaf/deaf person is not familiar or not as familiar with Spoken English. This can also present in reading difficulties in some situations, so written instructions or forms are not always helpful, particularly amongst older BSL users who may have suffered from how schooling institutions previously treated Deaf/deaf students, which resulted in gaps in formal education for many. If you are dealing with a family where the parents or grandparents are Deaf/deaf, please keep this in mind as grammar/language differences may present a potential issue and ALWAYS have a BSL translator available to ensure communication with parents/grandparents/family members is as accurate and as informing for the individuals involved as it can be. As BSL is used in multiple countries within the United Kingdom, terminology and signs can vary not just regionally but nationally. Be aware that Scottish signs may be very different from English signs (or may utilise a localised vocabulary/signs just like with regionalisation otherwise) and so on. If a Deaf/deaf person is from a different country from within the UK but is still using BSL as their primary communication preference, you may want to inform your translator of this fact to ensure communication can be accurate and fluid as possible. Note on learning aids: For children, pictorial and video based guides are best (along with in-person interaction and communication), as reading level/comprehension ability may make sign tutorials with written instructions more difficult or impossible to follow. Note the differences in the materials included in this packet, as some are geared towards adults (have text instructions as well as visual), while materials for children are more simple, illustrated, and use only the word that the sign represents. Use video and face-to-face learning as much as possible regardless, as BSL is a 3D language, and not all variations or aspects of a sign can be captured in photos, videos, or descriptions. SSL – Sign Supported English – BSL Signing along with spoken English, typically used by people who are Hearing or are already familiar with Spoken English grammar and speech, for example some with progressive or degenerative hearing loss who may have grown up speaking/hearing and learned signing later in life. Note that SSL uses the grammar of spoken English, and BSL does not. SSL can also be contentious within the BSL/Deaf community, for various reasons, so if learning BSL remember to pay attention to using the correct grammar when speaking to a Deaf/deaf person. SSE is a type of manually coded English, which you can read about here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manually_coded_English#Sign-supported_English_(SSE)
Makaton – Not directly BSL, although it does incorporate signs; is a multimodal system designed to help those with physical disabilities, cognitive impairments, or other medical needs which may prevent communication or make it more significantly difficult for certain individuals. Deaf – Note the capital D. This indicates someone who identifies within Deaf culture. deaf – Note lowercase d. This indicates someone who may not necessarily identify within the Deaf culture, but may be the child, friend, or other relative of a Deaf person, or possibly someone who obtained hearing loss or experienced hearing loss of some type later in life and is not as connected to Deaf culture as those who may have been raised within it or grown up with it in their household. Note: Lower case deaf will also be used as the medical term or in talking about hearing loss or similar contexts, where Deaf (with capital D) refers to culturally Deaf people or Deaf culture/identity. Note on deafness: There are many different types of deafness, causes of deafness, and everyone’s individual experience being Deaf/deaf will be different. Someone can lose their hearing over time, from any number of things or combinations of things. Someone can be born without hearing, for one reason or another. And degrees of hearing loss and hearing capability vary. Partial hearing, hearing loss, assisted hearing (for example with hearing aids), and deafness all have a wide range of medical and social meaning. A person with a cochlear implant is still Deaf/deaf. A person with hearing aids is still Deaf/deaf. More often than not, they will still not be able to make out what you are saying 100%, and they may still prefer or rely upon BSL or sign supported language to communicate effectively. There are also types of hearing loss where the physical ear can hear on an average level, but the brain does not process sound correctly, such as with Auditory Processing Disorder. There is not one type of hearing loss or deafness, and there is not one degree of hearing loss or deafness. Note on meeting with Deaf/deaf families or children: To accommodate for effective communication, tailor your interviewing area or meeting area to the Deaf/deaf person’s needs and for their preferences or comfort whenever possible. For example, open plan offices with lots of noise may not be suitable for a meeting, as ambient noise can become overwhelming or distracting, or they may not be able to make out anything at all as sounds may blend into one another and complicate listening abilities (if/when they exist at all). Find a quieter area or a meeting room with a door that can be closed instead. Other noise problem areas can include: Offices, restaurants/cafes, lobbies, street level/street exposed establishments such as outside street level seating, anywhere road traffic, phone calls, or music is playing, anywhere there are significant numbers of people talking at once, and so on. This may present a unique problem for younger Deaf/deaf people, who may not be able to express their discomfort or difficulties adequately to a teacher or other adult, so be mindful of signs of social isolation, irritation/aggression, or restlessness. These may be signs that environmental or classroom noise is disruptive to a young child with hearing loss or partial hearing, and that the child’s needs must be adequately evaluated and accommodated for. And of course, have a BSL translator. Paper and pen is not effective nor suitable for many. Many Deaf/deaf people cannot lip read in the way that Hearing people think of things; While lipforms are crucial to certain signs (particularly where one sign can mean multiple things), not every BSL user is a perfect lipreader. It is also exhausting for a deaf person to follow along when BSL is not being used by the other conversational partner for a variety of reasons. Keep this in mind.
Basic Communication Tips
by Clark Meeder for Lambeth Virtual School
Don’t raise your voice or shout. – This seems obvious, but this also does nothing for those with partial hearing, moderate hearing loss, hearing aids, or cochlear implants. It’s just loud and potentially upsetting, on top of offensive. If you catch yourself doing this unconsciously, keep yourself in check. If someone struggles to understand you, be sure you are speaking at a moderated speed and with clear diction (pronunciation). Do not exaggerate your face or shape of your mouth. Don’t over-annunciate. – When you do this, you are changing the shape your lips make (the lipform) of the words you are saying, and if someone is relying on lipform to help understand you, in trying to have better diction you have actually removed an element of speech comprehension. Face the person directly and make eye contact. – This is especially effective if the person you are talking to is a BSL user, as with BSL, eye contact and directional situation is important in signing and is something Deaf/deaf people are largely familiar and comfortable with. This posture also makes it easier for those who are capable of fluid lipreading to read and follow your lipforms. (Although note that lipreading on average is only about 30% effective overall, and can also be exhausting for a Deaf/deaf person to rely on.) Avoid excess background noise. – As mentioned in the Terminology and Notes section of this information/resource packet, background noise or excessive ambient noise can cause extreme difficulty with understanding any communication being made with sound, whenever that is possible. How to get a deaf person’s attention: -Move into their field of vision at a reasonable distance, same as if you were approaching anyone else although perhaps with less startling movement (so slow down if you were running around; you’re not trying to alarm anyone by accident). -A gentle tap on the shoulder is generally acceptable, but use discretion and common sense in situations where physical contact is not advisable or you are not sure if the person is OK with this. Generally, this is considered the most acceptable way to approach. Touch the shoulder more on the side of the arm, rather than at the top of the shoulder near the neck. -When possible, ask the person how they prefer you to get their attention in the future. For example, some prefer the lights method, which is when lights are flicked at a very slow rate at least twice to indicate their attention is needed, but this is often frowned upon by Deaf people when it used by Hearing people as the specific tempo of doing so is specific (if flicked too quickly it will indicate an emergency), and it is considered a Deaf cultural behaviour, so use only if you are sure you will do it correctly and appropriately. Here are some links for further reading on communication and Deaf culture: https://bda.org.uk/what-is-deaf-culture/ https://www.signcommunity.org.uk/a-brief-history-of-british-sign-language-bsl.html
Helpful Makaton Resources and Links
Assembled by Clark Meeder for Lambeth Virtual School
Basic Information Let’s Talk Makaton About Page https://www.makaton.org/aboutMakaton/ Signing Hands – What Is Makaton https://singinghands.co.uk/about/what-is-makaton/ Cbeebies Page on Sign Language (includes Makaton and BSL) https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/british-sign-language-and-makaton We Talk Makaton Main Page https://wetalkmakaton.org/ Learning Resources Cbeebies Makaton Sign Tutorial Videos https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/curations/makaton-signs Redbridge High School Basic Signs http://www.redbridgehighschool.co.uk/css/pages/sub%20pages/parents/makaton%20signs.html Wigston Menphys Nursery School Basic Signs http://www.menphyscentre.leics.sch.uk/makatonsigns-1/ Resources for Adults/Carers/Parents/Teachers Different Coloured Hats PDF - Teachers Guidelines http://resources.hwb.wales.gov.uk/VTC/2015/12/adnodd/HTML/resources/canllawiau/DifferentCol ouredHats_TeacherGuidelines.pdf The Communication Trust Makaton PDF https://www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/media/265447/makaton_all_about_me_npw04092014 _final.pdf Walsall Healthcare NHS - Teaching Makaton PDF https://go.walsall.gov.uk/Portals/0/images/importeddocuments/teaching_signs_-_overview-2.pdf The Communication Book NHS Scotland/Western Isles PDF https://www.wihb.scot.nhs.uk/LD/toolkit/Hospital%20Communication%20Book%20%20Western%20Isles%20version%20-%20low%20res.pdf Seasonally Appropriate The Makaton Charity – Select Christmas Signs PDF http://www3.hants.gov.uk/christmas.pdf Charnwood Nursery – Winter Weather Signs PDF http://charnwoodnursery.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/makaton-signs-the-weather.pdf
Select Basic Makaton Signs
Important Note on Mutual Intelligibility (or lack thereof) Between BSL and Makaton By Clark Meeder for Lambeth Virtual School BSL and Makaton are not interchangeable. Both are distinctly different from one other, and while some signs may seem similar as Makaton utilises some BSL signs, they are not mutually intelligible. Some signs used in Makaton might be of BSL origin, but within Makaton mean something entirely different, or are used in a different way. For example, some signs in Makaton can be unintentionally offensive in BSL (especially if they just so happen to fall in a certain order), as evidenced by a complaint that the Cbeebies Something Special program (which uses Makaton) recently had a minor issue with! So remember that while BSL and Makaton signs may seem similar and may even be using the same base sign, they are not the same language and confusing the two is a good way to make communication harder (and potentially upset or offend some people). Keep your eyes open! Compare the Makaton signs to some of the other BSL signs and language information included in this resource packet. Do you recognise similarities or differences? For example, Makaton is based around simple concepts and sentences that can then increase in difficulty as someone becomes comfortable with the system, whereas BSL has a grammar system that allows for complex information to be shared quickly and efficiently. In visual communication, it’s important to look and consider the structures of the languages, what that means, the difference(s) it might make, and why. You will understand visual communication much better if you investigate both forms of language being discussed here by not just focusing on the visual, but on what those visuals really mean, how they represent ideas, how they enable communication, and how they are used.