British Sign Language Courses

[Jinba Ittai]

A while ago I decided to learn British Sign Language after having dealings with a client who was profoundly deaf. Time passed by, but now I feel I have time enough to commit to a course. I would like to learn via a series of online courses, and having had a cursory look, there is a plethora of different ‘schools’ offering courses from a few pounds to a few hundred pounds.

Has any PH’r had experience of learning, or could recommend an online school?

TIA

[MrAndyW]

My wife and I did it approx 10 years ago, I got a book and CD on line. I did some practice with the CD,but I'm left handed, didn't realise that I could sign left handed so had to relearn what I had done.
Did an introduction to BSl at the local college, about 17 weeks I think.

I live just outside Doncaster which has one of the biggest desf schools in the country, Did BSL level 1there . Cost about £150 each at the time, Luckily work paid for me so just had to pay for my wife.

Level 2 was about £350ish I think,so we didn't bother.
Level 1 will be more than good enough for general communications day to day. Deaf people will appreciate the effort.

We still have good fun signing between us at the bar or supermarket.
If you can get someone to do it with you,even if it's just practising at home it makes it a lot easier.
Most of all enjoy it.
Andy

[21TonyK]

Not much help but I asked a BSL teacher and her recommendation is to find somewhere local where you can enrol on a course. She couldn't recommend anything online.

[Spare tyre]

I like the difference between motorbike and moped in sign language

[Pot Bellied Fool]

Not sure where you are OP, but I know someone who runs courses on Merseyside if that's any good - not online though...

[vaud]

Spare tyre said:

I like the difference between motorbike and moped in sign language

What is it?

I was curious but couldn't see moped on the BSL site: https://www.signbsl.com/sign/motorbike

[Spare tyre]

https://www.signbsl.com/sign/scooter
https://www.signbsl.com/sign/motorbike

Motorbike and scooter are the same I believe, just that motorbike gets a bit more of an enthusiastic wrist I believe

Your mileage may vary

[Planet Claire]

I've no experience of any online courses but I did my stage 1 (and 2) at night classes and I really think this is where you will get the most practice. Are you planning on doing an exam? I'm not saying this is the case for level 1, but certainly the further you want to progress the more you need to be involved in the Deaf community (eg going to Deaf clubs) and will be much easier if you are involved in a local class to get to know those kind of details (we arranged to go as a group to our local Deaf clubs). The reason why I didn't go on to do my level 3 was because you really had to be signing in your day to day work to build up a portfolio.

Like spoken language, signing also has regional/local dialects - different signs for the same word. I did my stage 1 up in Newcastle but when I came to do my stage 2 down in County Durham, about 30 miles away, I was really baffled by some signs because I had learnt 'geordie' signs for certain words. If you do an online course you may find that you are taught some signs that are different to what is used in your region.

[Jinba Ittai]

Some really helpful advice thank you.
@potbelliedfool, I’m in North Wales, but a bit too far from Merseyside to easily get to regular classes. I’ve searched locally but so far have not found a tutor. I’ll search local colleges to see if they have any courses coming up, if not I guess I’ll have to do an online course, which at least it will get me started. @planetclaire, interesting what you say about regional dialects!