- DURATION 8 x 60 mins
Event Description
Ever thought about learning Sign Language but never quite got round to it? Well now is your chance!
Join our new, exciting 8-week introductory course for beginners with no previous experience.
Our course will provide you with the real basics of British Sign Language communication, to allow you to become Deaf friendly and ready to have that initial starter conversation with a Deaf BSL user in the community.
The course will cover essential vocabulary, phrases, and grammar to enable you to hold a basic conversation.
Every week, we will cover bite sized topics that are easy to follow along with the fingerspelling alphabet to enable you to spell appropriate names of people you know and places you live.
This course if ideal for anyone who would like to communicate confidently in BSL and hope you enjoy learning this beautiful, visual, and expressive language with us along the way!
Week 1, we will cover what BSL is and ask the question is it universal and we will cover how to fingerspell the A – Z alphabet and as the course progresses, we will look at how to read back simple finger spelt words.
Please find the handout for the Finger Spelling alphabet here - Finger Spelling Right | Finger Spelling Left
Week 2, we will recap how to fingerspell and examine the rules of fingerspelling and its role in BSL. We will then learn some basic Meet and Greet phrases.
Please find the handout for the Meet and Greet phrases here - Meet and Greet #1.pdf
Week 3, Following learning how to produce the alphabet, for a bit of fun, we will see if you can have a go at attempting to read back some simple fingerspelt names.
We will go back over the Meet and Greet phrases from week 2.
We will look at how to avoid a breakdown in communication with some simple clarification phrases.
Lipreading challenge and brief discussion.
Please find the handout for Clarification here - Clarification.pdf
Please find the handout for Lipreading here - WATCH MY LIPS.docx
Week 4, we will recap on the clarification phrases from week 3.
We will learn some phrases to end a conversation and look at how to introduce some basic Family signs and regional numbers.
We will discuss the different ways to attract the attention of a Deaf person in the most appropriate way.
Please find the handout for Leave taking here - leave taking.pdf
Please find the handout for Family here - Family #1.pdf
Please find the handout for Alternate numbers here - Alternate numbers sheet CS.pdf
Week 5, We will recap last week’s signs Leave Taking, Family and numbers.
We will look at how to talk about Weather.
A brief insight into Deaf Culture – Deaf Joke
Please find the handout for Weather here - Weather
Week 6, recap last week’s Weather signs.
We will learn how to sign travel/transport modes.
An insight into Cochlear Implants and other assistive technology used by D/deaf people.
Please find the handout for Cochlear Implants and Hearing Aids here - Cochlear Implants and Hearing Aids
Please find the handout for Travel & Transport here - Travel & Transport & Travel Transport #2
Week 7, Recap Travel/transport modes
We will look at using numbers to express basic time.
A brief insight into Deaf Culture - Sign Language Poetry
Please find the handouts for time here - Time 2 and here - Time 3
Please find the handout for Timelines here - Timelines
Week 8, recap all topics.
Deaf Awareness basics – what do we mean by being ‘Deaf Aware’?
Course summary/overview
Evaluations/What next? (Progression routes for BSL)
Once you have booked onto this course, please scroll down the page to the resources section and download the handouts provided.
- Duration: 8 x 60 mins
- Online Zoom event: Join from your computer, phone or tablet (no replay available)
Meet the Host, Emm Sharpe
Emm Sharpe first became involved with the Deaf community in 1985 within the school environment supporting the classroom teachers and providing personal care and support for Deaf, autistic, and disabled young people. Whilst working in this sector she discovered the beauty of British Sign Language.
Since 1985 Emm has worked across a wide range of organisations in various positions as a key worker specialising in supporting Deaf people in sheltered accommodation, charitable organisations, education, HM prison, healthcare and with individual 1 to 1 support.
Emm is active within the deaf community and has been teaching adults and children in schools for many years. Along with an extensive range of qualifications she holds a Bachelor Of Science (Hons) in Deaf Studies and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) allowing her to develop a range of bespoke and tailored course across multiple industries.
Emm works within the UK offering commercial and private tuition with a focus on helping individuals, local services and businesses understand their obligations to the Equality act of 2010.
In the last few years Emm has developed a range of courses that are designed to educate organisations on how to provide accessible workplaces and adopt a Deaf friendly environment, enabling staff and management to become Deaf Aware and are able to effectively communicate in BSL at an introductory level with their Deaf employees and clients/customers.
Preparing for the Event
For the best experience, you will need to have Zoom downloaded onto your computer. Please ensure you're connected to broadband/wifi rather than using your mobile phone connection (3G/4G).
We also recommend that pets are either calmly sitting on your lap or in another room, and any refreshments you may require are within your reach!
Resources
Introduction to BSL – learn some basic British Sign Language (BSL) in 8 weeks! has supplementary learning materials provided by the event host. Once you book an event, you will get access to these resources.
More Information
What if I can’t make the event?
If a recording’s available for the event, you can still register for it and we will send you an email with a link to a recording shortly after it ends.
Will my camera be on and will I be visible to the other people?
Your camera and microphone does not need to be on for you to enjoy the event. The choice about whether to do this is completely yours.
How do I watch the live event?
Rest Less events are hosted on Zoom, a computer application that allows you to attend online events just by clicking a link. For detailed instructions, please go to our "FAQ" page, which you can find a link to in the nav bar at the top of the page.
How do I sign-up for and access the recording? (Recorded events only)
Book the event as normal (as if you are attending live). After the event ends you will automatically receive a post-event email with a link to the recording, as long as the event was recorded. You do not need to do anything else and there is no separate booking process for recordings only. Please note it can take up to 24 hours for Zoom to process recordings.