Why am I learning BSL?

[Siana B]

I have always had a fascination with sign language since I was a child but never really got a chance to learn more than the alphabet in primary school. I want to further my learning of this language as it will also help me to become more a part of the d/Deaf community. I have severe hearing loss in one ear so I likely won't ever need BSL as my primary mode of communication but it would definitely be helpful, especially around others who speak it. Since getting my first hearing aid (finally, that's too long of a journey to explain here) I have felt more like this is a community I belong in and so want to learn more about it and be able to communicate with people who speak BSL.

 I signed up to a course in September but university work piled up so it took a back seat but now that it's summer, I can't wait to get on with learning the language. As someone who loves language in general, it seemed like a natural progression as a good language to learn as it has it's basis in English so it's not completely different and will be nice to learn along side French as it is significantly easier in my opinion.