BSL resources - .:Early Learning Community:.

Ezhik

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BSL resources

« on: January 02, 2011, 09:46:10 PM »

Does anyone have any BSL resources they can share? I've found there to be very little available, but I would rather put the effort to learning BSL and enable my son to communicate with deaf people later. My friend is partially deaf and did baby signs with her disabled brother, but she has recently taken up sign language classes and says that almost everything she learned as a child is different. If I am going to learn signs then they might as well be proper ones, especially since starting at one Nikki has better coordination and more ability to do more precise signs

So far I have found the Let's Sign Early Years books, which are brilliant but expensive. They do a lovely series of sign-with-me nursery rhyme books, but I just can't justify the expense at the moment! I've tried looking online but am somewhat technophobic and have so far failed to find anything non-ASL.

Any help would be appreciated!


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TeachingMyToddlers

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Re: BSL resources

« Reply #1 on: January 03, 2011, 05:52:34 AM »

My absolute favorite is Baby Signing Time. Once your child masters this, move on to the Signing Time Series. These are true ASL signs.

Check your library for the DVD's, they are EXCELLENT if you allow your child to have screen time. If they don't have them, see if they can get them via inter-library loan. They also carry a whole line of flashcards for reinforcement that are very worthwhile.

Other signing options include (not sure if these are "baby signs" or "real" ASL): Wee Sign, Baby Signs, Talking Hands, Sign2Me, Kindersigns, and Kindernusik Sing & Sign classes

http://www.babies-and-sign-language.com/


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Proud Momma to DD 11/28/08 & DS 12/29/09, exactly 1 year, 1 month, and 1 day apart in age. Check out my youtube channel for BrillKids Discounts and to see my early learners in action!

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Ezhik

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Re: BSL resources

« Reply #2 on: January 03, 2011, 10:35:53 AM »

Thanks, but I'm looking for British Sign Language, as we live in England and it just doesn't make sense to learn to sign a language that the people you are most likely to encounter won't know.


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mom2bee

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Re: BSL resources

« Reply #3 on: January 03, 2011, 01:17:12 PM »

I had a sneaking suspicion that you meant British Sign Language. You have to be careful with acronyms, they're confusing. I myself am American but I've got mad googling skillz

, so I'll share what I've found...

http://www.british-sign.co.uk/ <-- Seems to offer a course and a web program, but didn't look too closely.
http://www.learningbsl.com/ <-- This is the blog of someone learning BritSL
http://www.signlanguageforkids.org/signlanguagekids/british-sign-language-alphabet/ <-- Generic BSL Site
http://www.britishsignlanguage.com/ <-- Basic site but offers a CD-rom with all their signs 21.99 in British currency (pounds, yeah?)
http://johnlubotsky.com/deafcinema/#e <--has a list of links to films in various sign languages, they may have some in BritSL
http://www.deaf-tube.com/ <-- Like Youtube but all deaf videos. I hope you can find something in BritSL

Hope this helps a bit


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TeachingMyToddlers

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Re: BSL resources

« Reply #4 on: January 03, 2011, 06:54:13 PM »

Oh my mistake, I thought you meant BABY sign language! Some people use modified signs for babies, I prefer to use "real" sign language (for us ASL, for you British is obviously a better choice). Good luck & sorry about that!


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Proud Momma to DD 11/28/08 & DS 12/29/09, exactly 1 year, 1 month, and 1 day apart in age. Check out my youtube channel for BrillKids Discounts and to see my early learners in action!

www.youtube.com/teachingmytoddlers

Ezhik

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Re: BSL resources

« Reply #5 on: January 03, 2011, 07:19:37 PM »

Thank you Mom2Bee! I spent ages on google and didn't find any of those sites - I somehow only ever find links to buy books or expensive sign courses.

Sorry for my lack of clarity - I know what I mean and often forget that I should be more specific with things like acronyms

It is such a shame that the baby signing industry just imports things like signing time to the uk rather than making the effort to translate it to British sign language. I only found one company producing BSL materials for pre-school children and they only have books, not dvds. English people wouldn't buy YBCR in French or Spanish because they don't produce an English version, so why teach your baby Americal rather than British signs - they are two very different languages!


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ShenLi

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Re: BSL resources

« Reply #6 on: January 04, 2011, 07:43:49 AM »

We use Signing Time DVDs, but to complement and expand my children's sign vocab, I sign the words when I show them little reader. I look up the signs on http://aslpro.com for the ones I don't know and finger spell the ones that aren't listed.