Description

Want to learn about language and linguistics while learning British Sign Language?

Join a thriving community of British Sign Language (BSL) speakers in a school which prides itself on a personal approach to learning. You will learn to communicate in BSL to an advanced level at the same time as asking big questions about how people use, learn and understand languages.

You do not need any previous experience of BSL to join the course, as you can start your language learning from either beginner or intermediate level. As you progress through the course you will have the opportunity to study for nationally-recognised Signature qualifications in British Sign Language. Alongside your language learning you will also explore the historical, social and linguistic aspects of BSL. Studying the lives of deaf people, their communities and culture gives context to your language development and allows for a more rounded understanding of BSL.

This course also allows you to understand BSL in the wider context of language and linguistics. In your linguistics modules you will learn about how language is structured and articulated, how we use it to convey meaning and how we acquire it. 

You will also consider social attitudes to language, assessing the place of English in a multilingual world and exploring how languages can express identity and cultural values. You can also choose between many specialist modules, delving deeper into the study of accents and dialects, forensic language or the relationship between gender, sexuality and language.

In your second year you will have the chance to find out more about language, linguistics and BSL use in the workplace with a fifteen day work placement in a relevant setting. You may also have the opportunity to contribute to some of our exciting research through our Students-as-Researchers scheme. All students have access to dedicated work spaces including the Languages Workshop and the Linguistics Lab.