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British Sign Language                      UK Books   USA Books   

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Throughout Britain the usual form of Sign Language is called  BSL, short for British Sign Language.

Gramatically BSL has it's own structure and syntax, and as a language bears little resemblance to spoken English.

Sign Supported English

Many deaf people in Britain use Sign Supported English (SSE), although SSE is not a language in itself.

SSE uses the same signs as British Sign Language but they commonly use similar grammar and syntax to  spoken English. It is a more cumbersome way of  communicating than BSL but is useful when used within schools when having to learn English grammar along side signing, or by those who rely on communicating with hearing people.  Neither SSE nor BSL bear any great  resemblance to the American Sign Language beyond that which is superficial.

Many hearing people think that there is only one Sign Language worldwide, but this is untrue. Many other countries have their own sign language, completely unrelated to the British Sign Language.

After a big campaign BSL was finally recognised by the UK government as an official minority language in 2003.

More information on the British Sign Language can be found at http://www.british-sign.co.uk and British Sign Language.com

Where can I learn BSL?

To find out about your nearest class contact your local Adult Education Centre - you should be able to get the number from directory enquiries.

Or you could send a SAE to the Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People. The CACDP is the national exam board for BSL examinations.

CACDP Head Office
Durham University Science Park
Block 4
Stockton Road
Durham DH1 3UZ
Tel: 0191 383 1155 (voice and text)
Website: www.cacdp.org.uk/

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