Hi! My name is Beth and I’m studying BA Film and Television. During my first year, I decided to take British Sign Language, as I wanted to learn a language alongside my main course. I was interested in taking sign language since I think it’s an important language that often gets neglected by most curriculums. Taking an IWLP module helped me gain confidence in socialising outside of my comfort zone, as I was communicating with staff and new peers through a different language I had no prior knowledge of. I thought it was also useful how we were taught about the culture as well as the language itself, meaning that we gained valuable insights into how Deaf people had come together to form a community.

At first I was nervous to start learning, as most of the tutors relied on BSL to communicate and I didn’t want to solely use English out of politeness; however, I gradually gained confidence signing due to the way it was taught. As I had to keep using BSL during class, it ensured I was practising constantly.

I truly believe I will be able to use the vocabulary and sign alphabet that I have learned in my module to help other Deaf people who may wish to communicate with another signer. Additionally, I plan to continue learning BSL in the future to meet new people and keep developing my knowledge of this unique language!