All three of the British sign language exam boards recommend that their learners receive structured tuition also known as ‘guided learning’ (normally in class) but also that learners undertake a significant amount of independent study as well. It is recommended that learners undertake approximately 26 hours additional study at level one and 50 hours at level two, rising to 130 hours at level three. This can all sound abit daunting to a beginner just starting out on a BSL level one course. It’s worth starting your independent learning right at the beginning of a course as although it’s possible to cram for exams, it’s far better to do it bit by bit as you go along. This can all sound a bit heavy going but if you break it down into small chunks then it’s much easier to achieve. In this article, I am going to suggest resources and strategies to help you fit this independent study into your everyday life.
Always try to practice with and watch videos of signers that are significantly better than yourself, so you can learn from the best!
Tip 1, First do your maths, find out the recommend additional learning hours for your course by downloading the course specification from your exam boards website. If you need more information on BSL qualifications check out my other article. Divide the number of additional study hours by the number of weeks of the course and then divide this by seven to get an idea of how much time you need to average per day. It goes without saying that you can have a few days off and then catch up by spending an hour watching a program on BSL zone, but the easiest way to get the hours in, is with a steady, drip by drip approach. Thanks to smartphones we can now watch BSL programs and videos almost anywhere and anytime, on your lunch at work and on your way home if you use public transport.
Tip 2, In order to help you steadily absorb BSL it can really help to follow several Deaf organisations on social media and accounts such as EverydayBSL aimed at BSL learners. On EverydayBSL (twitter and facebook) I retweet and share videos which have an English interpretation so learners are able to understand the overall meaning and pick up new signs and skills. The double benefit of this is that you get exposed to some of the issues that affect the Deaf community which in turn should increase your level of deaf awareness.
BSL Zone, is an amazing resource for BSL students of any level. Some of their programs have an English voice-over, most have English subtitles and some have both! They produce a wide range of programs primarily aimed at Deaf BSL users but their website is open to all and works in a similar way to ITV player or channel fours on-demand service. You do not need a TV license to watch the programs and they are free to watch online.
Signworld Is an excellent business run by Linda Day a linguistic expert and is an affordable resource at £30 for level one students and £46 for level’s one and two if purchased together. I would particularly draw NHS members of staff attention to the Medical – Everyday health issues module which costs only £6.99 as these are rarely covered in adequate depth for the curious healthcare professional on level one or two courses. This obviously wouldn’t remove the need for a BSL interpreter.
BSL Online dictionary, is ideal for learners and is also used by the deaf community. Its exactly what you’d expect from an online video dictionary, type the word in and videos related to the word pop up together with a written definition of the sign. Its works partially well if your practising at home and think, how would I sign “…” The website is free to use and you can also download it as an app. There is another similar app called spread the sign which also can be useful. If you can’t find a word on either app then searching YouTube for BSL followed by the word can be useful especially if the topic is one likely to be covered in official information produced by official public bodies, such as the NHS, councils or the police etc.
EverydayBSL playlists As you move through your course then its really important to recap what you are learning in-between classes, in order to help you move this new information from your short term memory, into your long term memory. They say you need to use a sign at least 10 times to remember it long term. So use the new vocabulary you are learning as much as you can in and outside of class to reinforce your learning. The way that I did this was to watch video’s designed for learners on the theme we were studying in class such as family member signs on YouTube. If you’re new to studying BSL it can be hard to see which videos are British Sign Language and which are ASL or Auslan etc but if you use playlists from EverydayBSL you will always be watching BSL. The playlists are free to view by anyone. The benefit of watching several different videos on the same topic is that they can gently reinforce the vocabulary you have learnt in class, with a few regional variations and a few signs to expand your vocab thrown in too. When you come to sit your receptive exams, this exposure to regional variations and a variety signers will stand you in good stead. In videos where a competent signer is providing information in an official video produced for an organisation, you will be able to observe high-quality signing with the option to completely watch again or rewind small sections to check what you saw. In these videos, you will learn about BSL placement, sign order and non-manual features. Islington’s council’s SignPost videos on YouTube are an excellent resource, for this type of learning.
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