How Difficult is British Sign Language to learn?

British Sign Language (BSL) is an extremely helpful skill to communicate effectively with deaf people, especially with the increasing rate of the estimated 12 million people in the UK who are deaf or are suffering from hearing loss.

Many have the misconception that it is extremely difficult to learn this non-verbal language, however, it’s just like learning any other language, it just takes time.

How long does it take to learn?

Like any language, there is no set answer on how long it takes to learn BSL, it is simply dependant on how often you are learning and practicing it. When starting with the basics which is referred to as level 1, it is usually covered and learnt within around 90 hours (this is normally recommended to be spread out over 20 weeks). However, in order to become fluent in BSL, it can take interpreters up to seven years with a lot of hard-work and dedication.

What are the different components to learn?

Many people assume that BSL is a lot similar to mime, but it is a lot more advance than that. It uses its own grammar in the form of facial expressions, hand shapes and upper body movements, to communicate with the appropriate grammar, syntax and lexicons.

Alongside BSL that communicates accurate content to others, there is the BSL fingerspelling alphabet which demonstrates how to communicate each letter of the British alphabet from A to Z. This is primarily used when there is no particular sign or action for a word or phrase. An example of this would be spelling out a name or an address.

What are the most common mistakes?

When learning a language, a lot of mistakes can arise, the most common ones consist of the various hand shapes, whether that be the angle or the positioning – sometimes the thumb needs to be relaxed and not tight, or the palm should be facing outward and not to the side. Many errors also revolve around how many times movements are carried out. For example, if you’re required to move your hand in a specific way twice back and forth, some people may do it too many times or not enough.

Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone learns from them it just takes time and practice.

If you’re learning BSL interpreting or a BSL Interpreter looking for work or a business looking for BSL interpreters, we can help. Please don’t hesitate to contact us.

According to the British Deaf Association, it is estimated about 9 million people in the UK are Deaf or hard of hearing.  Let me say that again, about 9 million people in the UK are Deaf or hard of hearing.  That’s around 14% of the population.

Last winter Strictly Come Dancing returned to our screens and for many it is essential Saturday night viewing.  One of the celebrities to join this series was Rose Ayling-Ellis.  Already a pioneering actor in Eastenders, Rose was the first deaf celebrity contestant who went on to become the winner.  One of the most mesmerising moments of the show was the dance Rose and her partner Giovanni Pernice performed to Symphony by Clean Bandit.  During the performance there was a moment when the music stopped but the dancing continued and for a short moment, the audience got to experience life without sound.  This moment later went on to win the Must-See Moment at the Baftas, as voted for by the public.  It clearly struck a chord for many; however, for the celebrities and many others, it was essential that the spotlight on this important subject was not short-lived.

Soon after the Strictly Come Dancing final, the Oscars brought another celebration for the Deaf community with the win for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay for CODA.  CODA, (Children of Deaf Adults), explores the difficulties that hearing children can face being communicators for their deaf parents.  Although the film used American Sign Language, the fact that an interpreter accompanied them throughout the award ceremonies and press tour, helped people become comfortable with them signing on screen.

The outcome of these two headline-grabbing accomplishments is that people are becoming more aware and accepting of the needs of people who are deaf or hard of hearing.  We watched as they were congratulated by an audience who were no longer clapping and cheering but instead raising their hands in the air, gesturing well done.  We also began seeing more people saying thank you by putting their hand to their mouths and moving it away.  These may be small steps for the hearing but by having deaf interpreters as standard on any medium that has an audience, we will continue to learn and continue to adapt.

We are moving in the right direction.  British Sign Language became an official minority language in the UK, in 2003 (BSL) but on Thursday 28 April the BSL Act 2022 received Royal Assent to become law.  The main purposes of BSL ACT 2022 include:

• Recognising BSL as a language for England, Wales, and Scotland
• Requiring the Secretary of State to report on the promotion and facilitation of the use of BSL across Government departments
• Issuing guidance to Government departments and public bodies (such as the NHS and local councils), about how they can meet the needs of BSL signers for whom BSL is their first or preferred language.

(RNID)

Now that this Act has become law it’s hoped that there will be better access to BSL interpreters.  In turn, there will be a demand for more qualified BSL interpreters, and this is where Aqua Interpreting Group is on hand to assist.  If you require a qualified BSL interpreter or are one, then please get in touch to discuss how we can assist.

BSL Interpreters and Translator Services

It may use motions and gestures instead of spoken words, but sign language is essentially just a language like any other. As with any spoken language, there are times when businesses and organisations need BSL Interpreters.

About BSL

A lot of people believe that British Sign Language (BSL) is essentially a direct analogue of English, meaning that each word has been replaced by a gesture but otherwise things are essentially the same. In fact, there is a lot more to it than that; it is a fully-fledged language with its own separate rules of grammar. BSL is fully, officially recognised as a language in its own right, and is the first language for roughly 100,000 individuals in the UK. Most of these have hearing difficulties, but some have speech problems and therefore find that sign language is their best method of communicating with the outside world.

Some people who have BSL as their first language can understand spoken English – for example through lip reading – and some cannot, and similarly some are also able to speak and some are not. When such an individual either cannot understand spoken English or cannot speak themselves, the only way to effectively communicate is through having somebody who speaks their language present such as a BSL interpreter.

Interpreters for British Sign Language

A BSL interpreter or sign language translator will essentially perform the same job as any other translator, and will make communicating with a BSL “native speaker” possible. One difference is that a BSL interpreter may only have to translate one-way instead of interpreting everything that is said by either party. This may be the case, for example, if somebody is able to lip read or hear spoken English fine but is unable to communicate verbally and uses sign language instead.

Whether the interpretation is for the benefit of one or both parties, like any other professional translator a British Sign Language interpreter will offer professional, accurate and rapid translation between spoken English and BSL, allowing communication to proceed as naturally and smoothly as possible. This can be invaluable for a wide range of situations including business meetings, conferences, and public talks or performances in which those who communicate through BSL must be accommodated alongside those who use spoken English.

Aqua Interpreting Group can provide professional, reliable, expert interpreters for a wide range of languages, and this includes BSL. Our BSL translators have a full, fluent grasp of sign language including its unique rules of grammar and sentence structure as well as all of the subtleties and colloquialisms that are familiar to those who use BSL as their main language. This means they can provide a complete, accurate, and rapid translation, virtually in real time.

For more information about our interpretation services for BSL or for any other language, please get in touch.