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Anyone learned / ing BSL (British Sign Language)

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girl7000
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27 Sep 2007, 6:25 am

Hi,

I just wondered if anyone here had learned or was in the process of learning BSL?

I would like to learn as sometimes verbal communication is very difficult for me, and and can sometimes have periods of involuntary mutism, so it would be good for me to have another form of communication as a 'back-up'.

The problem I have is that facial expression is an important part of BSL, but I have limited facial expression.
I have tried contacting the CACDP (who are the exam board for BSL courses) to ask if I could have this taken into consideration so that I don't get penalised or fail for it, but they were thoroughly and unhelpfully vague.

I tried contacting the college and a tutor, and they said I should try the course and see what happens, and I don't have to pay until I've attended enough session to establish whether or not I have a realistic chance of passing - so I guess this is a good compromise.

I just wondered what other people's expressions were with BSL?
Did you find it hard or easy?
To what extent was facial expression / dyspraxia / body language and gesture an issue in this?

Thanks



KingdomOfRats
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27 Sep 2007, 7:13 am

girl7000,
no one else can say how hard BSL is as it depends on the person,give it a go at home and see what think.
am found it too difficult so learned makaton,but am have had a lot of help off staff who know it,here-it's quite a hard one to find help on if not living in residential home or in special education [books,teaching etc,as most teaching is aimed at staff,carers and parents,and all the stuff isnt easily found in shops apart from online].

if find it difficult,am recommend makaton,it's not as full as BSL but it's easier than BSL to learn.
the something special website,on the bbc website has makaton signs to watch on video,or pictures of signs,if want to look at them and copy or get someone else to show them,can print them off to and stick them together to learn them more,they are mostly childrens things as something special is a childrens programme but if interested have a look and see whats useful.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch
is a good disability forum that should be able to help with BSL stuff as many of the people there are BSL and lesser, ASL users [quite a few aspies and auties on there to]



girl7000
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27 Sep 2007, 8:07 am

KingdomOfRats wrote:
girl7000,
no one else can say how hard BSL is as it depends on the person,give it a go at home and see what think.
am found it too difficult so learned makaton,but am have had a lot of help off staff who know it,here-it's quite a hard one to find help on if not living in residential home or in special education [books,teaching etc,as most teaching is aimed at staff,carers and parents,and all the stuff isnt easily found in shops apart from online].

if find it difficult,am recommend makaton,it's not as full as BSL but it's easier than BSL to learn.
the something special website,on the bbc website has makaton signs to watch on video,or pictures of signs,if want to look at them and copy or get someone else to show them,can print them off to and stick them together to learn them more,they are mostly childrens things as something special is a childrens programme but if interested have a look and see whats useful.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch
is a good disability forum that should be able to help with BSL stuff as many of the people there are BSL and lesser, ASL users [quite a few aspies and auties on there to]


Thanks KingdomOfRats, I will follow your suggestions.

:)



KingdomOfRats
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27 Sep 2007, 8:19 am

girl7000 wrote:

Thanks KingdomOfRats, I will follow your suggestions.

:)

waterstones etc shops sell a few books on BSL,but they dont sell makaton stuff,they would order in though,but if able to order from internet,the makaton.org site sells all the books,ebay is good for makaton stuff as well.



LostInSpace
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27 Sep 2007, 12:03 pm

girl7000 wrote:
Hi,

I just wondered if anyone here had learned or was in the process of learning BSL?

I would like to learn as sometimes verbal communication is very difficult for me, and and can sometimes have periods of involuntary mutism, so it would be good for me to have another form of communication as a 'back-up'.


For that to be a back-up though, you'd have to be speaking with people who understand BSL, which is unlikely. A better back-up is probably a pen and a piece of paper.

Quote:

The problem I have is that facial expression is an important part of BSL, but I have limited facial expression.


I know that in American Sign Language, a lot of the grammar is actually conveyed through facial expression. So if you have difficulty controlling your facial expressions, then maybe this is not the language for you.



girl7000
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30 Sep 2007, 1:24 pm

The only problem with pen and paper is that I'm dyspraxic so can't really handwrite well. So I would ideally need a computer or laptop which is not necessarily more realistic than the person to whom I'm speaking knowing BSL.

So a bit of a dilemma really!

P.S. Sorry if there are any errors in this post - my bf's "singing" distracted me!



LostInSpace
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30 Sep 2007, 2:30 pm

girl7000 wrote:
The only problem with pen and paper is that I'm dyspraxic so can't really handwrite well. So I would ideally need a computer or laptop which is not necessarily more realistic than the person to whom I'm speaking knowing BSL.


Well, I don't know if there are more people who know BSL in Britain than there are people who know ASL in the US, but I'd guess than your odds of running into someone able to communicate with you in sign language in the US is probably much less than 1 in 1000, maybe less than 1 in 10,000 or even to a greater extreme. Even with apraxia, I'm assuming you could at least write a little bit. It wouldn't be effective for extended conversation, but at least you'd have some way of communicating. If you have limb apraxia, that will affect your ability to produce signs, anyway.