British Sign Language

Course Summary

To acknowledge the pace of learning and the importance of student confidence with using a language, our 45-hour British Sign Language Beginners course is subdivided into three progressive steps: Beginners Step 1, Beginners Step 2, and Beginners Step 3.

Beginners Step 1 is suitable for students with no previous knowledge of the language.

Upon completion of the three steps, students who have fully engaged with all the learning activities, will achieve the equivalent of A1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and will have developed their confidence in holding a basic everyday conversation.

Students will develop these basic linguistic skills through a variety of comprehension and production activities. The course focuses on language that is required for communicating in real everyday situations, such as introducing oneself and others and talking about the daily routine.

Our courses are taught by specialists, using the target language productively in the classroom.

The course will include autonomous learning activities, which enable students to practise and consolidate their skills.

Course Details

Pre-requisites for enrolment

British Sign Language Beginners is subdivided into three progressive steps: Beginners Step 1, Beginners Step 2 and Beginners Step 3.

Beginners Step 1 is suitable for students new to the language.

Students who have completed Beginners Step 1 will be able to progress to the next step.

Students who have any prior knowledge of the language are encouraged to self-assess their proficiency by using our on-line assessment or by contacting the Course Organiser

Students who have registered for a course that is not at the right level can request a transfer after session 1 and 2 of the course

Special Information

Materials and equipment, you will need to bring to the first class:

• No textbook is required.

Content of Course

As they progress from Beginners Step 1 to Beginners Step 3, students will learn how to:

• Give personal information

• Exchange information about daily routine

• Express likes and dislikes

• Ask for and give directions

• Describe their home, their town

• Go shopping

• Order food and drinks

• Make reservations

Students will learn more about Deaf culture and sign languages.

Teaching method

Students will explore the use of the language in a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment.

Students will experience the target language in a productive way, carefully designed to grow familiarity and confidence.

We follow an action-oriented communicative approach. The lessons include whole-class activities and pair or small-group work, role-play, and watching video clips. Grammar is introduced in context. Manual and non-manual features of signs are practised regularly.

Students will have additional opportunities to practise understanding and signing through autonomous learning activities on the course page on-line (the Virtual Learning Environment of the University of Edinburgh).

Learning is assessed informally throughout the course with the teacher providing regular feedback to help students progress and plan their learning.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the three steps of the Beginners course, students will achieve the equivalent of A1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), following the Common Reference Level Descriptors for Sign Languages, and will be able to:

• introduce themselves, ask and answer simple questions about family, hobbies and housing;

• carry out basic everyday tasks like ordering a meal or asking for directions;.

• follow signing which is very slow and carefully articulated;.

• interact in a simple way with communication dependent on repetition and slow pace.;

• show limited control of a few simple grammatical structures and sentence patterns in a basic repertoire.