Languages at Leicester

BSL Level 1: Part 3

This is for you if you have prior knowledge of British Sign language or you have completed the Level 1 Award - Parts 101 and 102Signature or iBSL equivalent. You will continue developing basic conversational skills and basic receptive skills to enable you to make yourself understood and to find out information in everyday situations. 

You will be taught by a trained and experience deaf BSL tutor enabling students to acquire real experience communicating with deaf people and have a better understanding of how interaction with signs takes place. 

Key information

Courses starting October 2024 

  • Course: Wednesdays 6.00pm - 8.00pm
    Delivery: On-campus (face-to-face)
    Timeline: Starts 9 October - ends 11 December 2024
    Lengths: 10 weeks (30 learning hours)
    Fees: £150 with an additional fee of £44 for the exam - the exam fee can be paid at the time of enrolment or once the course has started.    

These courses will be taught in small groups. It requires a minimum of 7 and it can have up to a maximum of 12 students. The course fee includes all tuition, access to VLE (virtual learning environment), handouts and any tests/exams, but not a textbook.

Terms run from October to December. The full course comprises 30 learning hours. Lessons are two hours long and take place once a week. When enrolling you are committing to the full 10 weeks.

Enrol now

Entry level

You should have completed the Signature BSL Level 1 Award - Part 1 Unit 1 and Signature BSL Level 1 Award - Part 1 Unit2.

Course content

Topics and content

  • Meeting people (exchanging common courtesies and information, using simple question forms, fingerspelling names & places, demonstrating clarification & turn-taking 16 techniques and attracting attention. This includes giving and asking for information about people, e.g. my wife is a school-teacher, what does your partner do?)
  • Work, school and/or college (name and type of work/educational institution, occupation or courses being learnt, length of time worked or number of years in school/college, e.g. final year)
  • Describing day-to-day activities of self and others (functional information about social activities, or work, school or college, activities/tasks carried out daily at home, work, school or college using appropriate terminology)
  • Using numbers (use of local numbering systems for social activities or work, school or college, i.e. counting people, objects, telling the time)
  • Food and drink (descriptions of refreshment breaks and timings, favourite foods and meals and drink, types of food and drink)
  • Asking for and giving simple directions (the relevant range of vocabulary should include exits, toilets, stairs, lifts, up, down, through doors, crossroads, roundabouts, T-junctions, traffic lights, bearing left/right, opposite [i.e. as in opposite the Black Bear pub], places like the post office, library, supermarket, bank.)
  • Use of simple linking conventions and prepositions (i.e. use of sign structures linking words and phrases) • Signing Structure (placement, use of verbs & phrases, non-manual features, sign order, handshapes, directional verbs, orientation, using timelines).
    Comprehension and Production Skills
  • Learners should demonstrate they can understand their teacher and others, answer questions correctly, and can read fingerspelling
  • Learners should demonstrate they can sign at an appropriate pace and flow, using signing space correctly, fingerspell correctly and with reasonable speed, and use a range of vocabulary relevant to the unit
  • Learners should demonstrate they are able to use a wide range of sign-related phrases, verbs, adverbs and adjectives in the conversation. • Learners should be aware of BSL conventions for interrupting, asking for clarification, greeting unfamiliar people and closing conversations.)

Intended learning outcomes

By the end of this course learners should be able to:

  1. take part and follow simple, predictable conversations in British Sign Language
  2. understand and make requests in British Sign Language

Assessment criteria

  • Exchange common greeting courtesies in a social and work context
  • Use and understand simple, set phrases to exchange information about familiar personal or social or work-related matters
  • Use and understand simple, set phrases to express feelings, needs and preferences
  • Respond appropriately to questions, instructions or information from other participants in the conversation
  • Use and understand simple, set phrases to make or receive requests in order to clarify understanding, using appropriate question forms and signed conventions

Progression route

If you wish to gain formal accreditation for this course you can take the 'Level 1 Award in British Sign Language Studies' – Part 1 (Unit 103) exam, awarded by the Signature (Qualification Specification), for which there is an additional fee of £44 (Signature Fee’s Booklet 2024/25).

On completion of all three units you will be awarded the Level 1 Award for British Sign Language.

Progression from Level 1 is Level 2.

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