Sign Language week is an annual event dedicated to celebrating British Sign Language (BSL). The campaign is celebrated annually in the month of March, marking the Government’s recognition of BSL as a language in its own right since March 2003.
The British Deaf Association (BDA) as the organiser of the campaign, has chosen the theme of ‘Promoting BSL and ISL as indigenous languages of the UK’. Here at Signature, we hope that the campaign will encourage more people to start learning BSL and ISL as a way to preserve the language for future generations.
Here at Signature, we wanted to find out why people are learning BSL, as a way to highlight the importance of this rich language. To do so, we asked our followers on Instagram to respond to the following prompt:
“Your reasons for learning BSL”: Here are what people had to comment:
- It is such a beautiful and interesting language to learn.
- To bridge the gap between the hearing world and deaf world.
- I want to be part of the change to help make theatre and performance more inclusive!
- My daughter is bilaterally profoundly deaf, and I want to be able to communicate.
- To engage with others.
- To communicate with the deaf community and because it is such a great language.
- So, I have more people to communicate with when fatigued from lipreading.
- To communicate with my deaf daughter in her natural language.
- Because deaf people deserve to communicate in their chosen language.
- To become a teacher!
- I fell in love with the language!
- As an audiologist, BSL can help Hard of Hearing and deaf people to communicate much more.
- I think everyone should be taught BSL; I am learning to be able to encourage my children.
- My amazing daughter.
The responses Signature received highlighted that there is a whole spectrum of reasons for learning BSL. Some individuals are captivated by the beauty of the language, while others seek to bridge the gap between the hearing and deaf communities, promoting inclusivity. For some, learning BSL is about facilitating communication in specific contexts, such as theatre and performance, where accessibility is paramount. Additionally, personal connections, like having a deaf family member also drive people to learn BSL. Overall, whether for personal, professional, or advocacy reasons, many develop a deep appreciation for BSL and its role in facilitating communication and understanding.
To start learning with Signature, find a centre near you by following this link:
