British Sign Language Plan

Sign Language Week 2022

14 - 20th March 2022 celebrates Sign Language Week! Please see below a variety of videos, information and resources that might be of interest.

Alison Hendry, British Sign Language Development Officer 

Video: SLW2022
BSL Officer signing Happy Sign Language Week in BSL.

 

Leah Muirhead, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies 

Video: Leah SLW2022
Leah signing Happy Sign Language Week

 

Velda McCune, Institute for Academic Development - "I've found it really rewarding and enjoyable to sign with colleagues at Edinburgh during BSL drop-ins and elsewhere."

Video: Velda SLW2022
Velda signing Happy Sign Language Week

 

Emily Birtles, Moray House School of Education and Sport - "I love learning BSL!"

Video: Emily SLW2022
Emily signing Happy Sign Language Week and I love learning BSL

 

Dr Audrey Cameron, Institute for Education, Community and Society

Video: Audrey SLW2022
Audrey signing Happy Sign Language Week

 

Marga Vazquez Ponte, Centre for Research and Collections / St Cecilia's Hall - “I have taken BSL classes at the University of Edinburgh for several years both in person and (during Covid) online. I have loved learning such a beautiful and expressive new language. I work in Museums and Special Collections at the UoE and deal many people on a daily basis. For me, learning BSL helps me to communicate well with a more diverse range of people and makes our services more accessible. I think my favourite thing about BSL is that you speak with your whole body, it’s not just a case of just opening your mouth and talking, facial expressions are a fundamental part of this. This makes it a very sociable language, you need to look at the person you talk to and pay attention, it’s a friendly, expressive experience, it’s fun and it’s useful! I have also found the BSL drop in sessions run by Alison Hendry fundamentally important in my progression. It allows me to practise every week and learn new signs. In BSL it’s important to try and practice with a range of users as there are so many different ways to sign things, the drop ins are perfect for this.  I have met new people and made new friends, I would really encourage anyone thinking about it to learn BSL!”  

Video: Marga SLW2022
Marga signing Happy Sign Language Week

 

Louise Hartley, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine - "BSL Drop-in online sessions have kept me connected (and sane) through the pandemic. It’s been lovely to meet other colleagues I wouldn’t normally come across and practise conversing in BSL. Not only does it aid my mental health, it helps me feel connected. It also gets my brain working by learning and thinking differently improving my observation skills. This has resulted in a more general confidence around using the language and meeting other BSL users.

BSL is expressive and beautiful, but it is a complex language and I’m only starting to learn. However, being able to communicate with other BSL users and learners across the university opens up a new common interest and the network allows for regular practice.

I also work in public health research and it’s a great way to be able think about the information we are sharing with the public and across the university, and be able to be more inclusive in general."

 

The Centre for Open Learning (COL) offers BSL as one of their short course languages - why not have a look and sign up to learn a new language! 

British Sign Language Courses

 

The Scottish Sensory Centre (SSC) has a BSL Science Glossary with over 3000 BSL videos and definitions, which has been developed from the hard work of a team of 31 deaf scientists, sign linguists and teachers based all over the UK working together to collect and develop these signs. The Glossary has its own webpage as well as an app.

http://www.ssc.education.ed.ac.uk/bsl/index.html#top

 

You can find more information about Sign Language Week, led by British Deaf Association (BDA) - the link will take you to an external page.

https://signlanguageweek.org.uk/