Naomi the Wordsmith

I’ve started learning British Sign Language (BSL). I was fluent when I was a tiny tot. But as soon as I was old enough to start school, I stopped.

You see, schools at the time thought deaf kids should only learn how to speak English. To use BSL was a crime punishable with many, many missed play-times.

I wanted to play with my friends, so I stopped signing.

Now I’m all grown up, I’ve decided to learn again.

Here’s the 5 small things I’ve discovered from my BSL learning journey so far…

1. I remember more than I thought I would!

Remember what I said about being fluent in sign language as a baby?

Anyway, because it’s been like 18 years since I was signing like that, I figured I’d forgotten pretty much everything.

I was wrong.

The last lesson I went to, I’d been taught family signs like mum, dad, brother, sister, aunt, etc. To practice them, make sure I’d got it right, my teacher asked me to describe my family…

I signed, “My older brother is called XXX and my younger brother is called YYY”. My teacher hadn’t taught me how to distinguish older from younger brothers.

Somewhere, in the deep, dusty recesses of my infant memory, I remembered how to sign that description of my brothers.

I still can’t wrap my head around it. How can you remember something so clearly that you were sure you’d forgotten?

A similar thing happened yesterday.

I was video chatting with my mum and she looked worried and signed “You look pale. Are you ok?” I haven’t been taught pale yet. But I knew it, tucked away in my memory for when I needed it again.

I wonder what other signs are out there that I’m going to rediscover.

2. Finger-spelling is both hard as hell and easy as abc

Finger-spelling, for readers who are total sign-novices, is spelling out letters using your fingers.

My current skill level: Sign it as slow as possible so I can work out what the letter is.

It’s hard because it’s so easy to accidentally mix up the movements with another letter. And it’s hard to read it from other people because you’re still learning and damn it, they’re going too fast!

It’s easy because you can find tutorials for learning finger-spelling online with almost zero effort. And 10 minutes of practice a day and you’ll have a good grasp of it within a week or so.

Still. Calling all sign language aficionados, slow down, please.

3. Sign language is not for shy people

This seems to go against all expectation, I know.

When you’re signing, you’re meant to switch your voice off. You need to mouth words, but you’re not supposed to actually speak out loud.

Seems perfect for people who feel insecure.

Nope.

Yeah, you sign with your hands. But you’re also signing with your lips and your facial expressions.

Sign language is an incredibly visual language.

Here’s an example. Rainy weather.

You stretch out both your hands, starting above your head, and move them slowly-ish straight down. Blank face. That’s just rainy weather. Not too bad. Just rainy.

Or you do the same sign, but more forcefully, and you look miserable. Your face is the same face you make when you’re stuck outside in pouring rain and you’re soaking wet. That’s the sign for heavy, miserable rain.

Or you do the same rain sign, really forcefully, repeatedly (like whoosh whoosh whoosh). Your cheeks are puffed out, your face scrunched up into the most miserable expression you can make. That’s the sign for heavy, miserable, stormy rain. Rainstorm rain.

To make your meaning as clear as possible in sign language, you have to forget being self-conscious. You have to fully immerse yourself into the storytelling and FEEL what you’re saying.

Sign language is incredibly visual. That’s what makes it so beautiful. It’s like poetry.

4. It’s really fun

The level of immersion I just described really makes it feel fun. It’s like you’re play-acting. Like when you’re a kid and you’ve picked up a stick, and it’s a sword, and you’re saving the village from a scary dragon.

When you’ve freed yourself from the need to look polite when you’re talking, you’re free to be yourself.

Are you feeling okay/so-so, crap or great? Don’t hide it, sign it!

And finally, the real goodie…

It’s like a secret language to share with your friends.

Some idiot just got on the bus, putting their private phone call on loudspeaker for the world to hear? You can gossip about the gory details right in front of them. No one will know.

The possibilities!

5. It makes me feel connected with my family

It’s not just me learning how to sign. My mum and dad are learning too. Well, my mum never forgot. So she’s basking in being the top student. Teacher’s pet alert.

My younger brother wants to learn as well. He’s the language nerd of the family so he’ll pick it up with ease.

I feel so lucky that they’re learning, so they can talk with me on equal ground. We’re understanding each other better.

It’s not that I didn’t feel connected with my family before, because we’re so close. But I feel extra connected now.

Two thumbs up, a big grin and a wave

That’s me saying “That was great!” and “Goodbye!”

I have a prediction.

Here it is: When I’m fluent in BSL, I think it will end up being my second language.

Written English will be my first language, because I write so much it just flows naturally for me now. My second language will be BSL, where I can talk naturally, without straining to concentrate. And my third language will be spoken English.

I know it’s weird to divide languages into their written and spoken forms, but it feels logical to me. Writing is my jam, chatting in a noisy environment is my “Say again?”

Stay posted to see if my prediction comes true or if there’s going to be a surprise down the line…