With Over 145,000 Deaf People in the UK...How Can You Make a Difference?

• Do you have a deaf friend or family member that you’d love to be able to use sign language with?

• Have you yourself suffered hearing loss and are struggling to communicate with the outside world?

• Do you work with deaf or hearing-impaired people and feel inadequate when you are unable to interact with them?

• Do you want to become a more caring and inclusive member of society?

All too often, deaf and hearing-impaired people are overlooked, and struggle to communicate with a world that doesn’t speak their language.

Hi, I'm Olly Richards

I'm an author, speaker and language teacher. I'm also the founder of one of the most popular language learning blogs in the world: I Will Teach You A Language.

I’ve successfully learned 8 languages myself, so I have a good idea of the struggles you may be facing with sign language, and what’s holding you back.

After working with thousands of language learners, I’ve come to see first-hand what stops people becoming fluent in a new language, and what can be done to fix it. Learning sign language is no different.

Today, I’m going to offer you the opportunity to make a difference in your life and the lives of others by learning the basics of BSL (British Sign Language), so you can start to communicate on a more personal level with the deaf community and play a fuller part in society.

What's Stopping You Learning Sign Language?

If you're reading this page, it's likely that you do want to learn BSL, and it may have been a personal goal for you for some time now. But if you’re like most people I know, you probably have no idea where to start!

There are lots of reasons you might taken the first step towards learning BSL in the past…

• Maybe you’re short on free time to start a new project?

• Maybe you’re not sure what material to use or where to start?

• Or perhaps you’ve just been putting it off for a while and simply need a push to get started?

  
  

On the other hand...

• Maybe you’ve tried to learn BSL in the past, but didn’t get very farDo you already know a few signs but struggle to put sentences together?

• Or maybe your learning is just a bit disorganised and you lack a plan

• Do you already know a few signs but struggle to put sentences together?

• Or maybe your learning is just a bit disorganised and you lack a plan?

BSL is the first or preferred language of over 50,000 deaf people in the United Kingdom, and approximately 1 in every 1,000 children is born with a severe or profound hearing loss (according Disability. co . uk). Not only that, but BSL has also been an official language of the UK since 2003. All this means that there’s no better time to master the basics of BSL than right now. 

Introducing... Breakthrough BSL

Breakthrough BSL is a brand new online programme I’ve created to teach you to communicate in BSL in just a few minutes a day, and start to bring about a positive change in your life.

This is a concise, hands-on, practical course, designed by experts, to teach you the key signs you’ll need to interact in common, everyday situations in BSL, and put a smile on someone’s face.

• Learn The Fundamentals Of BSL: It’s important you master the basics of BSL from the very beginning, so you have rock-solid foundation and can start communicating with deaf people in your life right away. With this course, a solid foundation is exactly what you get.

  
  

• Learn About Deaf Culture: As well as learning to use sign language, you’ll also learn about deaf culture and the role it plays in the language and the community. By the end of the course you’ll not only be able to use BSL to communicate, you’ll also have a better understanding of the deaf community and rich cultural identity that has been created in this country which you may not even be aware of.

  
  

• A Course Designed By Learning Experts: This course is designed to help you learn in the most effective way possible, so that you get real results. The design of the programme draws on many years of language learning and teaching experience. 

  
  

• Taught By A BSL Expert With Years Of Experience: Your instructor, Emma, is a BSL expert with years of experience as a teacher and interpreter of the language. The collective expertise that has gone into the creation of Breakthrough BSL means you can have confidence that you’ll be learning as quickly as possible, in a way that is proven to be effective.

  
  

• Professional Quality Video Lessons: The entire course is shot in beautiful HD video, so not only will you enjoy a state-of-the-art learning experience, but you’ll have the best seat in the house and you’ll feel like you’re in the room with Emma, receiving personal tuition!

  
  

• Flexible, Online Learning: With Breakthrough BSL you have full control of your study schedule so you can base your learning around your lifestyle, and learn at a time that suits you rather than working to the rigid schedule of a teacher or school. With this course, you also have the flexibility to learn at your own pace, making it much more enjoyable and easier to be successful.

  
  

• Interactive Lectures: The interactive video lessons in this course follow an approach of “active learning”, and are specially designed to test your learning as you go. This means that rather than just teaching you new signs we actively check your comprehension and encourage you to practice new signs as you progress through the course. This means you’ll learn faster and remember more than you would with any other course.

  
  

• Communicate with over 9 million hearing-impaired people in Britain: Breakthrough BSL gives you the skills you need to make a difference to the lives of millions of people all over Britain. By the time you complete the course, you’ll be ready to deal with any common, everyday situation in BSL.  In fact, what makes this course so unique is that when creating the syllabus, we didn’t just copy the same old “standard signs” you’ll learn elsewhere - we actually went out and surveyed hundreds of people across the UK about the specific situations they would like to use BSL in, whether that’s with a family member suffering from hearing loss, interacting with deaf people in everyday situations at work, or simply becoming more socially conscious. Breakthrough BSL is a course for real people, living real lives who want to make a difference in the real word.

  
  

• Learn To Use BSL With Confidence: I understand that learning sign language can be intimidating if you’re a beginner, so given this is such a practical course, we place an emphasis on teaching you not only to understand the most important signs that you’re likely to need but to sign them yourself, with real people, and with confidence, so you can start to communicate with the people in deaf community, without freezing up. When you can do this…the results will be life-changing!

So, are you ready to make your Breakthrough in BSL?

Learn the Basics of BSL Step-by-Step in Your Free Time!

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a complete beginner at BSL, or whether you’ve tried to learn any other variety of sign language before. This course will cover everything from the very beginning of BSL, so you have confidence in what you’re learning, and know that it will be effective at helping you to communicate with the deaf community.

We understand you’re busy, and that you may be worried about taking on an additional commitment, and that’s why this course is delivered in small, bite-sized lessons that you can complete at home, on the train, or during your coffee break.

The course also works on any device, so you don’t have to worry about technical difficulties. (But, just in case you do have a problem, our friendly support team are standing by to assist you with any questions.)

• Course Structure: 5 course modules to teach you BSL step-by-step

• Video Lessons: 31 unique lessons in glorious HD-quality video

• Supporting material: Downloadable PDF worksheets accompany every lesson so you can revise anywhere 

• Average video lesson length: 2 min 30 sec

• Language: Spoken English with subtitles throughout

• Level: No previous knowledge required - ideal for complete beginners, or those looking for a refresh

• Technology: Works on any computer, tablet or mobile device

• Lifetime membership: Unlimited access to the course for as long as you need it

• Free updates: You receive complementary updates to all future versions of the course

• Support: Our friendly support team love answering your questions (however small) over email

• 30-day money-back guarantee: If the course is not right for you we will refund every penny.

Course Aims:

By the end of the course you will have gained an introductory working knowledge of BSL, so you can hold a conversation with deaf people and BSL users in everyday situations.

You will do this by...

• Building a solid knowledge of the alphabet & numbers, so you can "finger spell" any word in the English language

• Learning vocabulary to talk about a range of common topics (days of the week, verbs, family, etc.), so you can learn the words that are important to you in your unique situation

• Learning common phrases for everyday interactions and greetings, so you can communicate with deaf people in a meaningful way

• Practising all the above with regular revision, comprehension tests, and PDF notes to take away and study anywhere

Course Content:

• Module 1 - The Alphabet & Fingerspelling

• Module 2 - Your First Conversations

• Module 3 - Core Vocabulary

• Module 4 - Expanding Your Vocabulary

• Module 5 - Questions, Emotions & Putting It All Together
  

Subtitles: 
All videos include close captioning so you'll be able to follow along with Emma's explanations, tips and instruction even if you're deaf or hard of hearing.

Course requirements:
None! This course can be taken by anyone. It is suitable for complete beginners talking their first steps in BSL, as well as those who have studied the language previously and want to improve their knowledge of the foundations of the language.

BSL FACT SHEET

Did you know...

• BSL has been an officially recognised language in Britain since 2003

• BSL is a visual language which is very different from English, with its own unique syntax and grammar

• There are regional dialects of BSL, just like English (You'll get a glimpse of this in the course!)

• Over 145,000 people in the UK live their lives through BSL

How Will Knowing British Sign Language Change Your Life?

So, take a second to remember why you want to learn British Sign Language, and what life will be like when you can sign with confidence.
Imagine what it will feel like when ...

You’re able to confidently express yourself in British Sign Language and connect with the deaf community

You can transform relationships with those around you - at home, at work and in your local community - by communicating in their language

You can play your role in creating a more open and inclusive society

How much of a difference will it make to your life and the lives of the deaf people you encounter when you can actually communicate with them, on their own terms, in their own language?

Here’s What Students Are Saying:

“Emma is very approachable and the practice conversations make it easy to see how everything fits together.”

- Adam Stephen Dawkins