So What is British Sign Language?
British Sign Language is a visual language that uses hand gestures, facial expressions, and body language to communicate. It is completely separate from the verbal English language and has different vocabulary and grammar. The language is mostly used by the deaf community and people with a hearing impairment in Britain. In 2016 the British Deaf Association stated that there are over 151,000 people who use BSL in the UK, this figure excludes professional BSL users. Each country has its own sign language and there are over 100 different sign languages in the world today. Over time different regions in the UK adapted sign language so that it reflects local accents and verbal dialects. For example there are many different ways to say bread bun in the UK, In the Midlands you might call it a ‘cob’ but in London and Essex it will always be a ‘roll’, this is the same in sign language.
The Start of British Sign Language
BSL has been around for centuries and was created by deaf people forming communities throughout the UK. The first official record of BSL was at a wedding ceremony at St. Martin’s Church in Leicester, 1576. The groom was deaf so the ceremony was conducted partially in British Sign Language.
For many years hearing impaired people in the United Kingdom were discouraged from using sign language, instead, students were taught to speak and lip read. In the 1940’s BSL was considered to be a more effective form of communication, but only after 2003 when BSL was recognised as an official minority language did people have a positive opinion of BSL.
When was Sign Language Created?
Although many people believe that sign language is a relatively new dialect, it is actually one of the oldest and most basic forms of human communication. Native Americans used simple hand gestures to communicate with other tribes and to overcome the language barrier between themselves and European traders. These gestures have been adapted over time into the complex sign languages we have around the world today.
Who Uses Sign Language?
We tend to associate sign language with the deaf community however it is used more often than you might think. Many people use industry specific sign language and hand gestures such as air traffic controllers, the army, and life guards. In these scenarios it is important to have formal signs which are consistent and known internationally. BSL interpreters are greatly needed to assist with members of the British Deaf Community and are required to have official qualifications and must study for at least seven years. There are over 900 registered BSL interpreters currently in the UK.
There are also multiple hand signs that are used on a daily basis all around the world, for example pointing, giving thumbs up, or waving to a passer-by to say ‘hello’. If you want to ask someone at the other side of the bar if they want a drink then it is automatic to use hand gestures as they probably cannot hear you.
How would you show someone that you are on the phone? Or get someone to put their window down in a car?
The History of Sign Language
In the early 11th century monks used basic hand signals to communicate with each other during a vow of silence. According to National Geographic, the first person to create a formal sign language was a Spanish Benedictine monk, called Pedro Ponce de León, in the 16th century. He combined and adapted the gestures used by the monks to create an alphabet which he used to educate deaf students throughout Spain. Juan Pablo Bonet continued Pedro’s work by improving his alphabet and in 1620 he published Pedro’s sign language alphabet to share this new language internationally. This knowledge travelled to France and in 1755 Charles Michel de I’Eppe, a French priest, founded the very first public school for the deaf. Students travelled miles to attend his school and brought with them their own self-taught signs. I’Eppe combined these informal signs with the alphabet to create a comprehensive sign language dictionary. This new language quickly travelled across Europe and to the United States.
How Can I Learn British Sign Language?
BSL is not currently included on the national curriculum in England so it is not taught in many schools. Some schools offer BSL as an extra-curricular activity and a BSL GCSE option is being considered. There are many online resources for complete beginners to professional interpreters.
Did You Know?
In March, there is a Sign Language Week which is promoted by the British Deaf Association to celebrate and acknowledge the British Sign Language and Deaf Community. March 18th 2003 was the date that BSL became an officially recognised language.
