4 reasons why you should learn British Sign Language

Sian gives four good reasons that you should give learning British Sign Language, or BSL for short, a go.

I’m Sian and at the moment, I’m doing a British Sign Language course. BSL is a way to communicate using signs instead of spoken words. It’s mainly used by people who are Deaf or have hearing impairments.

I’ve found that getting started with learning BSL isn’t hard, and there are plenty of reasons why you should give it a go. Here are my top four reasons you should learn BSL.

1. It makes society more inclusive

No one should be left out of life, and learning sign language is a great way to make sure no one is left behind. Even learning a few basic signs – like hello, goodbye, thank you, or the British sign language alphabet – has helped me with introductions to anyone whose first language is BSL, even if I can’t have a long conversation.

Want to break down barriers? Learn some BSL.

2. It’s a fun language to learn

Learning BSL is fun – it’s not like anything I’ve learnt before. I love how imaginative BSL can be. I’m sure if you’re anything like me, there’ll be certain words you learn how to sign and enjoy how creative the language is.

One of my favourite signs is ‘arts and crafts’. You paint some lines with your finger, and then pinch your fingers on each hand together and touch them against each other. Here’s a video of me in Sign Supported English.

3. It helps you improve your body language

You might not know that facial expressions and body language are an important part of BSL. The meaning of what you’re signing can change depending on how expressive you are. Learning to sign can help make you more aware of your expressions and body language.

4. Think of all the friends you could make

According to the British Deaf Association, 87,000 Deaf people use BSL. That means if you learn the BSL basics, then you’ll be able to start to communicate with lots of new people. What better reason could there be?

Why not give it a try?

There are lots more reasons to give learning BSL a shot – but I’ll let you get started and you can discover what the benefits are for yourself.