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Hi everyone! I am Hannah and I'm 36. I am from east Sussex (which I forgot to sign in my video!!) I have wanted to learn sign language since I was a teen but never got around to it. Unfortunately now due to chronic illness I no longer work and have the time to learn. There is also a dead person in my building who loves to chat but it can be difficult sometimes so I figured now is my chance!!

This one’s an awkward bugger. I have ADP myself so I’d like to be able to sign it unfortunately, using two popular and seemingly well respected BSL online dictionaries has got me this far: sound over-thinking fingerspelling: d i s o r d e r sound process regulation (shaking head to signify disregulation) anyone got a better idea? Would be a great help ! also this is my first post . I don’t do introduction posts, so just saying hi!

Hello, I am Casey, I recently started learning BSL because it seems like a very useful skill to have. I am greatly enjoying the course so far!

https://auslan.org.au/dictionary/words/linguist-1.html

Hello everyone What is the sign for My name is Tara? Tara is spelt using fingerspelling, but what is the sign for my name is ?

Why am i learning sign language? Would it be a cop out if i said i didnt know why? For some reason ive always wanted to learn sign language. It seems more personal than speaking to someone verbally and that appeals to me a lot. I've always been (appeared to be) too busy to learn it. Luckily, i suffered a bad spinal injury and have all the time in the world to learn it now :). I guess another reason is that because of said injury ive moved back to where i was born and i want to surprise a childhood friend who i havent seen for 30 years with my SL skills. He was born profoundly deaf. Im hoping it'll make him smile.

Hi Everyone my name is Harriet and I’ve always wanted to learn sign language as my brother has Down syndrome and used to use sign language when he was younger. I think it’s really important to be inclusive and I’d love for myself and honestly more people to learn sign language to communicate with people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Hello everyone and hope your all well. Im learning to sign to help with my job in the NHS. Im completely new to this and although I have completed 3 modules I find it quite challenging!

Hi everyone My name is Cristina, I am an artist. I strongly believe in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. In my opinion Diversity is what brings beautiful colours to a monochromatic world.

Hi all, I'm Teri, I'm a behaviour lead in a primary school, I have worked in SEN for over 20 years ans have a deaf nephew. Doing a refresher of a BSL course was on the top of my list this summer break 😁

Hi everyone, My name is Vedith Mupparaju, and I’m a physiotherapist currently pursuing an MSc in Contemporary Physiotherapy Practice at the University of Lincoln. Originally from India, I bring over two years of hands-on experience working with patients across neurological, musculoskeletal, and cardiorespiratory conditions in both hospital and community settings. I’m HCPC registered and a member of the British Deaf Association and the National Deaf Children’s Society, and I'm currently exploring ways to make my practice more inclusive—starting with learning British Sign Language. I'm here to connect, learn, and grow as both a healthcare professional and an advocate for accessible care. If you have any advice for BSL learners or insights on using BSL in healthcare settings, I’d be truly grateful to hear from you. Looking forward to being part of this wonderful community! Warm regards, Vedith mupparaju

Hi all, New to the forum (obviously). I'm a GP in Wales. I learnt for several years a few decades ago before education moved properly away from SSE towards BSL so I am having one to one lessons as my vocabulary is better than my language structure, and then hope to slot back into a group. My motivations are manifold: I am a GP and want to make my practice more inclusive to Deaf people. I am a scout leader and work with another leader who is Deaf and signs (again, he is older like me so was taught SSE). We hope in time to start to run Scout events or even a group for Deaf scouts. I am part of a church and want to see more inclusivity in the church by providing more signing, and also Im part of the LGBTQ community so want to see more inclusivity there. Particular challenges for me is unlearning English language structure (I often sign at scouts whilst talking verbally to the kids) and learning the differences between signs in Wales to England where I picked up much of my vocabulary. Looking forward to seeing what resources I can find on here.

Hi Ricci, just wanted to say that, I don’t know how long you’ve been learning but you’re streets ahead of me lol. I only started on 27th June. I tried to follow your signing but got totally lost. I managed to work out a couple of words, like teaching assistant, the fact you’re married to billie and you have 2 children. Hopefully when, and if, I get to your stage I’ll be able to follow your video without keep stopping it and going back! Well done mate, keep going 👍

Hi everyone. Thanks for this resource. I've just started learning BSL in order to apply for jobs in the care sector. I like foreign languages but this is a new challenge for me. Best wishes to all, Michael

Hello, my name is Dan and I'm 24. I'm single, I love reading books, I love cycling, I like running, I don't football, I love music by Powerwolf, Army of the Night is the best (song?)

I am new to working in an SEN environment and have always wanted to learn BSL.

Hi, I’m Ella 👋 I am completing the BSL course as part of my Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award, for my skills section.

Hi I work as a phlebotomist in a hospital and excited to be able to communicate with deaf patients.

Hello! My name is Francine, and I work as a clerical officer in a care home in the Highlands, Scotland. I recently completed the Introduction to British Sign Language (Healthcare) course, which I enjoyed. It made me want to learn more, so I am now starting to learn basic conversational BSL. I am looking forward to improving my skills and being able to communicate better with people who use sign language.

Hi, I've just started my BSL level one course online. I've started learning as I'm losing the hearing in one of my ears - and it's a great language to learn! Hopefully I'll meet some other learners and we can practice.

Hello everyone My name is Tara, I am a registered nurse I have recently started a BSL course and I am hoping to start my level one in a few months I am glad to have found this website and hope I can find it helpful on my BSL journey

My name is Pia, I am 36 from Scotland. I have been profoundly deaf in my left ear since birth and have partial (deteriorating slowly) hearing in my right ear. I was brought up in the hearing world and speak English as my primary language. I did some sign language lessons when i was in school so I'm not a total stranger to sign but i also haven't had any signing practice since then!

Hi, I'm mothcat. I've wanted to learn BSL for a long time, and have been considering it more seriously for the past year. I finally decided to do a course! When I worked in a coffeeshop, one customer came in who signed their order. I couldn't understand what they were saying vocally, and I knew no sign language, so they ended up having to write down their order. It felt really wrong and horrible at the time, and now I know that the word for it is audism. Since then, I've started a job where one of my coworkers is Deaf and lipreads, and while she doesn't strictly require BSL, it gave me the final push to learn it anyway. As a disabled person myself, I know how frustrating it is that abled people demand everyone to conform to their way of doing things, and as a society we should strive to embrace the diverse ways folk navigate this world. As a side note, I am autistic and have really been enjoying the structure of BSL as a language. Its structure and clarity are really accessible.

My name is Andrew and I am looking at learning BSL as a way to better myself and increase my understanding. Not finding it easy but I am finding it rewarding and I guess that is more important. Stay safe.

Hello everyone, I'd like to introduce myself, my name is Jacob. I've been profoundly deaf since birth, however NHS has failed me because they didn't find out I was deaf until I was 15 years of age! They did multiple hearing tests, however they were conducted in a headmasters office in primary school, and they just thought i was being ignorant or distracted by other things for example, children playing on the playground. So when I was 15 years old, my mum still thought they were something not quite right with me so this time, my hearing test was conducted in a soundproof room, with headphones and the button to press when I hear the beeps, when I started this test the lady that was in charge of the test kept saying you need to press the button when you hear a noise, and I wasn't pressing the button for a lot of the test, and when the test was over she then said she was in awe why nobody caught it when I was a toddler because I've gone through 15 years of my life not being able to hear, I've missed out on so many things, and development socially growing up. I wanted to do BSL because I still struggle to hear when I have my hearing aids in, especially in loud environments so I joined myself and my partner to do this course so I can communicate with my family and my partner better when I'm struggling to hear. I'm very excited to learn BSL and to use it in everyday life

Hi , Iv always wanted to learn bsl , would be ideal for my job

My name is Sarah, I have always wanted to learn BSL, since i first did fingerspelling at 2ndary school (a long time ago now!), two years ago we employed a Deaf team member, who has been teaching us signing, and we had a 6 week course, but i would love to learn to communicate better with my Deaf colleague, so i can support her

Hi there, I'm learning BSL at the moment and I've found four different signs for "favourite" online at signbsl.com: 1 - two thumbs up making small cycling motion with each other in front of chest 2 - thumbs of dominant hand taps chin twice 3 - both thumbs start at chin, then move outwards and downwards 4 - thumb of dominant hand on chin, thumb of secondary hand held lower down in front of chest, then both hands move downwards away from the body Now here is a fifth version! I must admit to being very confused! This isn't the first time that I've found multipe signs for the same word, and it's usually a very often-used word. HELP! Any advice?

I wish I had been taught sign language as a child because it would have expanded my ability to communicate, connect, and empathize with others—especially those in the Deaf and hard of hearing community. Language shapes how we interact with the world, and learning sign language early on would have helped me understand that communication goes beyond spoken words. Early exposure to sign language fosters inclusivity and accessibility, values that are essential in building a more compassionate and understanding society. It would have also developed my nonverbal communication skills, improved my cognitive abilities, and introduced me to a rich and expressive culture that often goes overlooked. Most importantly, I believe that if children were routinely taught sign language, we’d grow up in a world where no one feels left out of a conversation. Learning it young would have made it second nature—something I could use not only to help others, but to build deeper, more inclusive relationships throughout life.

I have decided to start using BSL as i am studying a BSc psychology at university, and i am hoping that BSL will help me in my future career as i am wanting to explore the field of clinical or educational psychology.

Hello everyone from Positive Signs Training. We are based in Essex, Upminster and offer BSL courses of all levels. Currently offering a Fast Track BSL Level One and Two course (Starting May 2025) We also have a BSL Level Three course later in the year. For more information, do get in touch! [email protected] Or visit the website: www.positivesigns.uk

Hey guys, Nice to e-meet you all here. I'm so excited to find this website! It seems everyone will start with an intro post, so here goes mine A Little About Myself My name is Elaine, and I have two wonderful cats—a tabby and a calico. I identify as an ESTJ on the MBTI scale, although I consider myself to be somewhat balanced between extroversion and introversion, depending on the situation. I enjoy singing, going to the gym, and I hope to do some traveling this year. I recently transitioned from being a strategy consultant to taking a career break, which has allowed me to explore new facets of life and regain some balance after a demanding work life. How I landed at learning BSL I’ve been involved in volunteer work for quite some time, including roles in charity shops and helping children with autism and learning difficulties. While these experiences have been rewarding, I’ve always wanted to focus on areas that might be underserved, particularly where there’s a lack of volunteers due to specific skill requirements. That’s how I became interested in supporting individuals with hearing impairments and learning British Sign Language. My Learning and Practice Plan Initially, I considered enrolling in evening classes for BSL, but the costs were a bit prohibitive. Fortunately, I found some affordable learning materials here, which has been a lifesaver! I plan to self-study for the Intro and Level 1 content, and I’m actively seeking a study buddy to practice with. I’ll also be looking for events to participate in and contribute to. I’ll post separately about finding a study/practice buddy soon. That’s all for now! I hope everyone enjoys their journey in learning BSL and making a positive impact in the community. E

Hi everyone, my name is Renee and I have wanted to learn BSL for years and finally committed to a course after being made redundant. I am hoping to feel comfortable joining a conversation with others doing sign language, even if it is only basic.

Good afternoon all, my name is Vikki. I have always wished to learn sign language since we were taught some Makaton in primary school. Finally, I have some free time to actually do so! Only thirty odd years later!! Wishing everyone a great BSL journey!

Mine came from an old friend who wanted to give me a football name lol Kinda stuck! Hope you are good!

Yo my name is James to but I use Jimmy and Javier as nicknames! crazy stuff

My name is Kevin and I work for BEfriend, a registered charity established in 1994, providing one-to-one voluntary befriending to people who are socially isolated in Ealing and Hounslow. Clients are matched with volunteers who visit for 1-2 hours each week, providing a lifeline to people living alone who might go for days at a time not seeing a single person. We currently have clients on our waiting list who need volunteers proficient in British Sign Language. Volunteering with BEfriend not only enriches the lives of those who are isolated, but also offers immense personal rewards. As a volunteer, you’ll befriend inspirational people with fascinating stories, develop new skills and be part of a supportive team that values compassion and connection. If you can volunteer, please visit https://befriend.london/volunteer

Thank you Kevin! As the coordinator for this project in Hounslow, I often receieve referrals for clients who are deaf who we are unfortanately not equipped to support without BSL volunteers. Happy to answer any questions related to our service and how to become a volunteer! Vince, lead befriending coordinator for Hounslow

Hello, My name's Lucy and I used to be a learning support assistant to young adults with special educational needs. I used to sign to some of the students using Makaton, basic BSL and Signalong. I achieved a certificate in Signalong but would like to learn BSL to a high standard. I have now started a new job so it's hard to practice it with others. I'm based in Manchester.

Hi I just joined here today so thought I would introduce myself. I started learning BSL years ago through university but left university after my first year to become cabin crew and it is my one regret that I did not carry on learning, so I made it my new years goal to start again! I have worked as a SEND teaching assistant and support worker for 15 years and have used Makaton and SSE throughout this role so have managed to retain some of the signs etc. I now work as an apprenticeship skills coach and a neurodiversity inclusion trainer and really want to be able to learn BSL, not only for myself to be able to communicate with BSL users but, also to make sure that I can offer fully inclusive training services. I am keen to meet people who I can learn from and practice with and would love to become involved in events etc within the Deaf community. I look forward to connecting with people

We are excited to be offering Introduction to British Sign Language, online and face-to-face. We also offer Signature-Approved Level 1 British Sign Language and Level 2 British Sign Language face-to-face. These courses are being taught in Plymouth by a native, deaf BSL user with almost 30 years of BSL teaching experience. Visit www.completetrainingltd.co.uk to enrol As part of our social give-back, The Inclusivity Group are sponsoring one space on each of these courses for a parent of a deaf child. Email [email protected] to find out more!

Welcome back Gerry! I hope you manage to find members of your local Deaf community to interact with. I am not Deaf myself, but i do know CIs are a controversial topic in the community. I also heard that they can cause dizzyness and it can feel very overwhelming at the beginning. I hope that your transition goes smoothly, good luck!

I’m learning BSL because my autistic daughter is too. She can manage to sign in situations that she previously felt too overwhelmed to be in.

Hi. My name is Martin, I'm 46 and I have decided to properly learn BSL. I had an accident and suffered a head trauma when I was 3 yrs old which resulted in me becoming completely deaf in my right ear. I struggled with my SSD for as long as I can remember. Although my other ear works perfect I struggled to hear conversations in noisy environments, so I became quite reliant on lip reading. I once had a friend at school who began to teach me fingerspelling, but we grew apart before I could learn more and never pursued it, so here I am now, you are never to old to learn something new! I hope that over the next couple of years that I will be able to learn enough to be able to use what I have learnt to help others in some way.

My name is Lilly I’m 16 and study to become a SEN T.A I’m have very basic BSL as Im partly deaf but haven’t learnt a lot. I hope to get better and develop good knowledge in BSL to help me become a T.A and be able to support lots of young children

Hi Littlebird, I completely understand how you feel. I think the receptive was the exam I was most nervous about. One of the things that actually helped me was I convinced myself I wasn't going to pass on the first time and decided to treat my exam as a practice test instead. As luck would have it (and I think luck is involved) I did end up passing and I think it was down to the following points below. I'm not sure if it will help you as everyone is different but I hope this helps: Like you, I watched a lot of BSL Zone but especially the interview style shows (e.g. Close Up) as I felt this was the most similar to the Signature Level 3 receptive exam. There were two things I focused on while watching - practising writing notes without looking down and also getting myself familiar with the feeling of not understanding everything and not panicking. I knew that if I started to panic I would completely lose concentration so I needed to practise experiencing that feeling and trying to overcome it and continue. I also used the Signature Level 3 Homework content to practise. At the time I felt that it was not worth the money I spent on it as I didn't think it was very helpful but in hindsight I think watching these videos did help. If you only have a few days, it might not be worth purchasing and the SignWorld content might be similar. When watching the videos, the main thing I practised was writing without looking down, getting used to not understanding everything and trying to pick out key details such as numbers and names. On that note, I did a quick refresher of regional numbers before the exam as I found this quite difficult. This website was helpful with that: https://bslsignbank.ucl.ac.uk/regional/numbersigns/ Trying to recognise fingerspelling made me very nervous so I practised this as much as possible when watching any BSL videos and also by using the game on this website: https://www.signlanguageforum.com/bsl/fingerspelling/fingerspelling-game/. If you haven't used it before it is really helpful as practising your understanding and can be speeded up to make it more difficult. I used YouTube videos to practise too, for example the National Deaf Children's Society YouTube channel was helpful as it had videos like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiLPtwNKczw. I have to admit that the exam I did happened to be on a topic I was quite familiar with, which helped massively so I think luck is part of it. I practised the format of the exam too, so that I had the timings and the structure clear in my head so that there wouldn't be any surprises. For example, if you're watching a YouTube video or a BSL Zone video, try to watch it the same number of times that you would be able to watch it in the test. I tried to learn some key dates, names and facts to help me recognise these if they came up. This is quite hard when you have so many topics but it definitely does help. There is a Facebook Group called BSL Level 3 Certificate which is helpful too- lots of advice and questions answered. I really hope it goes well. I kept asking myself why on earth I was doing this to myself so it's also important to remember that although this is really difficult it is a worthwhile thing that you are doing and no matter what happens with the exam, you are gaining skills that are really valuable! If it also helps to know, our class all did a mock exam a couple of weeks before the real thing and we all failed the mock but all of us apart from one passed the real exam (and the one who didn't pass the first time, passed the second time). Best of luck and I really hope it goes well.

You might find this helpful. This dictionary has a good video of the sign dyslexia https://www.spreadthesign.com/en.gb/search/

Hi, there is actually a sign for dyslexia! Both left and right hands making a 'C' shape with thumb and index finger in front of your chest area (a bit like how you would sign 'word') and overlapping them x2 to show that the words are mixed together. Hope this helps :)