British Sign Language Elementary Step 1 (Online)

Course Times & Enrolment

This course is currently unavailable.

Course Summary

To acknowledge the pace of learning and the importance of student confidence with using a language, our 90-hour British Sign Language Elementary is subdivided into six progressive steps: Elementary Step 1, Elementary Step 2, Elementary Step 3, Elementary Step 4, Elementary Step 5, and Elementary Step 6.

Upon completion of the six steps, students who have fully engaged with all the learning activities will achieve the equivalent of A2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and will be able to communicate in everyday practical situations likely to arise when travelling or meeting users of the language.

Students will develop these basic linguistic skills through a variety of comprehension and production activities. The course focuses on language that is required for communicating in real everyday situations such as planning a holiday or talking about what you did at the weekend.

Our courses are taught by specialists, using the target language productively in the classroom.

The course will include autonomous learning activities, which enable students to practise and consolidate their skills.

Course Details

Pre-requisites for enrolment

British Sign Language Elementary is subdivided into six progressive steps: Elementary Step 1, Elementary Step 2, Elementary Step 3, Elementary Step 4, Elementary Step 5, and Elementary Step 6.

Elementary Step 1 is suitable for students who have completed a British Sign Language Beginners course (steps 1, 2 and 3), or have achieved the equivalent of an A1 level of the CEFR.

Students who have completed Elementary Step 1 will be able to progress to the next step.

Students who have any prior knowledge of the language are encouraged to self-assess their proficiency by using our on-line assessment or by contacting the Course Organiser

Students who have registered for a course that is not at the right level can request a transfer after session 1 and 2 of the course. (see our Languages FAQ

Special Information

Materials and equipment, you will need to bring to the first class:

No textbook is required.

In order to successfully engage with the course via Zoom/ Microsoft Teams, you will require:

A reliable internet connection
A computer equipped with a camera and mic
A headset or earphones

We recommend that your computer runs a modern operating system. For example, Windows 10 or the latest Apple software.

For more information about technical requirements, please visit the FAQ on our website.

Content of Course

As they progress from Elementary Step 1 to Elementary Step 6, students will learn how to:

Describe a home, a city, a country
Compare, express preference and give reasons for these
Sign about one’s profession and workplace
Organise a trip, make reservations and ask for advise
Make, accept or decline an invitation
Make a short narration of a past event
Sign about future plans

Students will learn more about Deaf culture and sign languages.

Teaching method(s)

Students will explore the use of the language in a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment.

Students will experience the target language in a productive way; carefully designed to grow familiarity and confidence.

We follow an action-oriented communicative approach. The lessons include whole-class activities and pair or small-group work, role-play, and watching video clips. Grammar is introduced in context. Manual and non-manual features of signs are practised regularly. Students will have additional opportunities to practise understanding and signing through autonomous learning activities on the course page on-line (the Virtual Learning Environment of the University of Edinburgh).

Learning is assessed informally throughout the course with the teacher providing regular feedback to help students progress and plan their learning.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the three steps of the Beginners course, students who have fully engaged with all the learning activities will achieve the equivalent of A2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), following the Common Reference Level Descriptors for Sign Languages, and will be able to:

deal with common aspects of everyday living such as travel, lodgings, eating and shopping;
exchange and request information and express opinions and attitudes in a simple way;
socialise simply but effectively using simple common expressions;
sign about past events and future plans;
show control of a simple repertoire and of grammatical structures to deal with concrete everyday needs.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.