Have you ever thought about learning a new language? Well now could be your chance with Seashell’s specialist British Sign Language courses, starting in September this year.
Every day in the UK, hundreds of thousands of the population communicate with British Sign Language (BSL). There are roughly 150,000 Deaf people in the UK that use it, not to mention their extended family and friends, who also use this form of communication.
BSL is a visual means of communicating by using gestures, body language and facial expressions, and is used mainly by the Deaf community or people who have hearing impairments. This is an important time for Deaf people and Deaf culture, as earlier this year, the BSL Bill received Royal Assent, meaning it has become an Act of Parliament. The BSL Act is now part of UK law and British Sign Language is finally a recognised language.
You are in safe hands with our BSL Tutor and Equality and Diversity Champion June Battye, who will guide you through your learning journey, whether you are a complete beginner or have previous experience and are looking at getting your qualifications. June is a proud advocate for the Deaf community – you can read more about her story here.
What’s on offer:
Our Taster Course opens the door to the potential of learning BSL.
BSL Level 1 will take beginners through the first steps to learning sign language. It opens the doors to the potential of learning BSL at higher levels or it’s a great way to learn the basics.
BSL Level 2 is designed to enable learners to develop their skills to communicate with Deaf people using BSL in a range of everyday situations. The qualification will allow learners to participate in longer and more varied conversations than at Level 1. The learner will be able to deal with most routine communication and have enough understanding of grammar to cope with some non-routine communication
We also offer classes in Signalong. Signalong was originally introduced to assist with language development programs – one sign per concept, one concept per sign. There are some significant differences in presentation and accessibility. Signalong analyses signs for their handshape, orientation, placement and movement, supported by clear line drawings. This means that when you understand the methodology, practitioners can accurately reproduce signs from the manuals without having to attend additional classes or reference to a tutor.
