British Sign Language - The Pink Dragonfly

I first came across BSL in 2009 at work. I was in a Disability Awareness training course and the trainer taught us to fingerspell the alphabet as an ice-breaker. I didn't use it again until my first day in a new role when I had a deaf client come to see me for employment support. This client, Michael, was a BSL user and we somehow communicated with me gesticulating a lot and writing things down for each other. I was fortunate that my then employers paid for me to attend a BSL Level 1 course, and I have never looked back. I did my BSL level 2 the following year and have taught basics ever since.

These days most of us are a lot more aware of BSL due to fantastic people like Rose Ayling-Ellis and high profile TV programmes such as Strictly, Reunion, and Rose's Old Hands, New Tricks. This has lead to a lot more people, of all ages, and for many reasons, seeking out BSL sessions.

My aim is to raise awareness of BSL as a language and to help to bridge the gap between the hearing world and the deaf community. I firmly believe that the more people learn even the basics of BSL, the more we open up the world and make it more inclusive.

I offer both in person and online training. from a one off session to a 6 or 8 week BSL basics and now also including BSL Next Steps and Improvers. These sessions are designed to get you started with BSL and to help to get you where you'd like to go.

People learn BSL for many reasons. These are just a few of them:

Because of hearing loss
Because of speech loss
To be able to communicate with a family member or friend
To be able to communicate and support in a work environment
Because they love to learn
For the cognitive benefits

Why learn BSL? Why not?