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hello, i am Anouska. i am 37 and a mother of 3 all with special needs. i first used sign to help my then non-verbal daughter (asd) she can now talk for the most part but has a very bad stutter. i was born deaf but had an operation when i was 5 and after i had to have speech therapy to help me talk "normal". i can lip read but now my hearing is going again and i would like to be able to communicate with people. i have wanted to learn sign properly for many yrs but things always seemed to get in the way. with it being lockdown i have to time to dedicate to learning what i think is a very important skill for anyone to learn/know. i hope to see BSL being taught in all schools in the UK.

Hi Everyone, Since lockdown my 16 year old daughter has been learning BSL level 1. Shes really enjoying it but she says she would like someone she can practice her signing with. I did my level 1 many years ago but its not cool practicing with your mum (apparently) so I just wondered if there were any other teenage girls who would like to buddy up for practice? When I did my BSL my tutor buddied me up with a lovely deaf lady and we used to meet at the pub once a week - shes knows she cant do that, so Im trying to help her in a different way! Many thanks, Vicky (on behalf of Neve)

Hi I work in healthcare and trying to learn a new skill. I don’t actually know anyone to practice BsL with and so finding it a little difficult remembering them!

Glad to have helped! I was only able to work it out as I merged shopping assistant teacher! I'm only one module ahead of you!:)

Hi! I think this may be teaching assistant?

Hi Vicky! I am learning level 1 the same as your daughter! I know I am slightly older (20) but once I learn more I'd love to practice with your daughter if she's up for it

My name's Georgia and I have just started the "Introducing British Sign Language course"! I have already learnt the alphabet and how to count from youtube videos and I can't wait to learn more. I am 20 years old from the West Midlands currently studying at university. Due to the whole coronavirus situation I have found myself wanting to learn a skill that will be extremely useful in life as I have more time now. I think the basics of sign language should be taught in schools as something as easy as fingerspelling has the ability to ensure we can all communicate with the deaf/hard-of-hearing community.

Hi! My name is Codie, I am 18 years old and I have started learning BSL. I am hoping to start university in September, where I will be moving from the countryside to the city to study a course which allows me to work with young children. In my work experience, I have come across children with a range of additional needs, including one boy who had never learned to speak, but was always listening and learning. Nobody in the school knew how to correctly communicate with him, meaning he was often subconsciously excluded by the other young children who found it difficult to be around him. Along with this, I work part time in retail and understand the importance of allowing people to be independent. Learning sign language would make my work place more accessible for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, and increase the independence of some people in my area who find it difficult to be alone due to needing to communicate in non-verbal ways. Along with this, the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has forced me to leave school early and caused a lot of uncertainty. Learning this new skill is not only beneficial to other people, but also to myself, as it allows me to feel like I'm achieving something, even if it is only minor like learning one or two new signs. I'm excited to see how the rest of my learning goes and what else I can achieve, and to see how BSL helps my day to day life.

Hi my name is Esme, I am learning British Sign Language whilst in quarantine, as I finally have the time. I am interested in this as I learnt Makaton whilst on a university placement, which led me to want to learn more about the communication methods people can use. I hope to use this in the future, and I believe it is an important skill to have when working in the community

Hi, My name is Jodie and I live in Colchester, U.K. I am learning BSL during my time being furloughed. It's something I've always wanted to learn so that I can communicate with people who use this. I wouldn't want someone to feel left out or at a disadvantage because they are deaf. I hope to be able to use this in any job I have or throughout life.

Hi! I'm so sorry I didn't see this, I haven't been on here for a while. I'm not sure whether Zoom works for me either, but if I can work it out and you still want to practice we can one day if you want?