British Sign Language (BSL) has rich regional variations and dialects, meaning different areas of the UK often use completely distinct signs for the same words or concepts.

Why Regional Signs Exist

• Historic Deaf Schools: Early residential schools for deaf children established in the 18th century taught different signing conventions locally, shaping today's regionalism. 

• Dialects vs. Accents: BSL variations act more like regional dialects (different signs for the same meaning) rather than simple pronunciation accents. 

• Community Connection: Local signs preserve regional identity and history within the Deaf community. 

Common Examples of Variation

• Colors: There are over 17 different regional signs for the color "purple" across the UK. 

• Numbers: Signs for numbers (like "six") can look completely different depending on whether you use one hand, fingers, or the thumb position. 

• Everyday Vocabulary: Words for common items, place names, and days of the week vary heavily between regions like London, Manchester, Newcastle, and Belfast. 

You can explore specific regional distributions and test your knowledge using the BSL Signbank regional database.

Watch a short video explaining how BSL has regional signs and accents:

https://www.facebook.com/SignatureDeaf/videos/did-you-know-that-bsl-has-accents-in-the-form-of-regional-signs-bsl-monitor-cher/3703779469860445/

The British Deaf Association has also written the following entitled 'Behind The Signs'. It incorporates an example of how the Liverpool accent is used in BSL : https://bda.org.uk/behind-the-signs/ 

Qualifications Scotland BSL

National Units

Available for SQA approved centres.

• F8Y0 09 - British Sign Language: An Introduction - SCQF Level 3

• H3PA 10 - British Sign Language - SQCF Level 4

• H3PA 11 - British Sign Language - SCQF Level 5

• H3PA 12 - British Sign Language - SCQF Level 6

Link to website : https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/65529.html 

1+2 BSL Introductory Pack 

Google Drive folder which contains paperwork, resources for Exploring Visual Communication, Resources for Building Vocabulary and Resources to support Finger Spelling

Google Drive Link : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uvrDaesB2gcuXQOTC4VozB6gbUo_VONO?usp=sharing 

Doncaster Deaf Trust Course

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Join our community

Learn with 1000s of other users, achieve awards and level up and stay up-to-date with current BSL developments.

Website link : https://www.doncasterdeafsign.org.uk/ 

Sign BSL

Master new signs in British Sign Language anytime, anywhere

Search and compare thousands of words and phrases in British Sign Language (BSL). The largest collection of video signs online.

Website link : https://www.signbsl.com/ 

Commanding Hands aims to help teach people British Sign Language (BSL) for free. We want everyone to learn and use British Sign Language.

Website link : https://commandinghands.co.uk/