Learning British Sign Language (BSL) in Scotland

The BSL (Scotland) Act requires the Scottish Government, local authorities, local health boards and other listed bodies to create their own BSL Plans on how they will promote the use of the language and improve access to services for deaf people living in Scotland.

Your local authority must produce a BSL Plan. These plans set out the support available to deaf children and their families in local areas. This should include supporting families of deaf children with the opportunity to learn BSL if they want to.

The support offered to families varies depending on where you live. It may include:

• BSL packs or books
• home or online tuition from a Teacher of the Deaf, sign language tutor or deaf role model
• BSL classes aimed at families or parents of deaf children
• groups where families and children can practise BSL
• liaising with other local organisations who can provide support

The Scottish Government has stated that all families with deaf children who want to learn BSL should be able to do so. Professionals and public bodies are required to support you in doing this if you wish. If you need support with accessing BSL in your area, you can contact our Helpline.

For most people, the best way to learn to sign is through a BSL course taught by a qualified BSL teacher. Learning BSL in a class allows your teacher to watch you signing, spot any mistakes or habits, and help you to improve. You'll get to practise real conversations and may have the opportunity to get a qualification at the end of the course.

Sign language tutors should generally be qualified to at least two levels above the level they’re teaching. Tutors should ideally be deaf themselves or have lived experience of deafness, for example because they are a child of deaf adults (known as a CODA).

There are different types of BSL courses available, from basic introductory courses through to recognised qualifications like SCQFs. You can find out more about the different types of courses through the following websites.

•  SQA
• Signature

Providers of BSL courses include:

• local authorities
• health boards
• local colleges
• private businesses
• charities
• voluntary groups

Your Teacher of the Deaf will be able to provide information about what is provided through your local authority. If your local authority does not provide BSL courses, you can search for courses using the following websites.

• My World of Work
• Signature
• Deaf Action

You could also contact a BSL teacher directly. The BSL Teacher Directory has contact information for BSL tutors across the UK.

Family sign language classes are designed to teach basic BSL to the whole family. This can be a great way for deaf children to learn BSL alongside their siblings, parents and other family members. Learning BSL together allows the whole family to learn the same signs at the same time, so that everyone can communicate.

Family sign language classes usually focus on teaching specific signs and phrases which are useful to the family, such as 'milk' or 'cuddle', rather than structured BSL lessons.

To find out more, check whether your local authority offers family sign language lessons, or sign up for our family sign language courses online.

To get started, check out our playlist of family sign language videos (YouTube).

Having conversations with deaf sign language users in your local community is a great way to practise signing. They can introduce you to regional signs which are used in your local area and can help you to become more fluent. 

The Solar Flares: Deaf Heritage project has put together a list of deaf clubs in Scotland (Solar Bear). 

You could also use Facebook to look for deaf clubs and groups for sign language learners in your area, or visit our website to find a local deaf children’s society.

If your deaf child is learning to sign, encourage your whole family to spend lots of time with deaf role models who use BSL as their first language. This could be through BSL tutors coming into your home, attending local deaf clubs and deaf events, or through your child's education provider or early years setting.

You could also watch TV programmes in BSL as a family.

• See Hear is the BBC's magazine show for the deaf community, presented in BSL. It covers different topics relevant to the deaf community.
• Lumo TV is the new name for BSL Zone. Lumo TV offers a wide range of shows in BSL, including children's programming. Some shows are broadcast on live TV on Mondays.
• Magic Hands is a CBeebies show which translates poetry into BSL for children.

In the UK, the main TV broadcasters often produce shows with a BSL translator in the corner of the screen (known as in-vision translation). These shows may be available on live TV or online. Even if your child is not old enough to understand the programme, try to build a habit of watching shows with BSL translation where available. This will expose your whole family to lots of high-quality BSL.

If your child has a speech and language therapist (SLT) or Teacher of the Deaf (ToD), make sure they have a good level of signing, and do not be afraid to ask for a different SLT or ToD with a higher level of BSL knowledge if you need to. Being proactive in asking for the support you need from your local authority can be stressful, but it’s worth it to make sure your child grows up with access to rich, fluent sign language.

There are lots of websites and apps available which offer online BSL lessons and tips. These can be a great way to practise the BSL you've learned in your class or learn some basic BSL if you cannot join a BSL class just yet. Because BSL is a 3D language, it’s harder to learn through a screen, especially when you’re just starting out. Being physically present also makes it easier to engage in paired or group activities, practise turn-taking, and understand the natural flow of signed conversations.

The standard of online BSL courses and BSL apps vary widely. If you're thinking of signing up for an online BSL course, try to find out:

• if the course is designed or taught by a qualified BSL teacher
• if the course is accredited (officially recognised)
• if the video clips used in the course are signed by deaf people whose first language is BSL, or by qualified BSL translators or interpreters

Some examples of online BSL courses are:

• Doncaster Deaf Trust's online Level 1 course
• Signworld
• British-Sign.co.uk

Some examples of apps to help you learn BSL are:

• Bright BSL
• Lingvano