As part of the Enrichment programme for all pupils at Dixie, we have been able to offer a course in British Sign Language. Lucy and Erica have provided this report:
In the UK, British Sign Language (BSL) is the most common form of sign language with around 150,00 BSL users. BSL has its own grammatical structure and syntax; as a language, it is not dependent on or related to English. It’s quite different from other English-speaking countries’ sign language. For example, ASL (American Sign Language) only uses one hand doing the alphabet but BSL uses both.
The BSL course in Enrichment offers a 7 week course that consists of learning about 10 key topics covering: Fingerspelling, numbers, colours, deaf awareness, introductions, family, relationships, hobbies, time, money, days, months, seasons, food, drink, emotions, animals, clothing, conversation, education, medical, retail, transportation and home settings.
After each lesson, you will complete an individual assessment that consists of watching short videos and answering questions . Using these interactive assessments, you can keep track of your progress and look again at areas that you may need to do more work on. Once you have completed all 10 key topics, you will do a final assessment that will be a combination of everything you have been learning in the weeks prior and you will get a certificate for completing it! It helps you learn about the basics and it’s available for all ages; even babies can learn BSL!
