BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE STAGE 1 - 2025/6

Module Overview

This is a module of the Global Graduate Award in Languages programme. It is taught over 19 weeks in the autumn and spring semesters, two contact hours per week, and it introduces a visual, signed language which covers two core skills: reception (equivalent to listening and reading in MFL) and production (equivalent to speaking and writing in MFL).  This module also offers an introduction to British Deaf Culture and the society in which BSL is used and aims to raise a sense of cultural awareness. Students prepare for everyday communication with Deaf BSL Users, and for work within the Deaf Community. 

A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module.

Module provider

Literature & Languages

Module Leader

RECASENS Cristina (Lit & Langs)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: Global Graduate Award

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

No previous knowledge of BSL required.

Module content

Indicative content includes:

Topic areas

• 
  social introductions


• 
  personal details (age/family/where live/nationality/profession/basic physical description + character)


• 
  counting/spelling/addresses/phone numbers/days/months/time


• 
  expressing likes and dislikes/hobbies/daily routine


• 
  basic transactions (shopping, café, buying tickets)


• 
  weather, directions, transport


• 
  conversations relating to college/study/course

Grammar

• 
  fingerspelling


• 
  hand shapes


• 
  flow/pace


• 
  signing space


• 
  placement


• 
  BSL structure and order


• 
  non-manual features


• 
  turn taking


• 
  basic verbs


• 
  directional verbs


• 
  simple commands


• 
  questions


• 
  basic affirmation/negation

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

A timed assessment covering the relevant skills, to be completed  online.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate

• their linguistic progress over the duration of the course;


• their growing ability to understand and produce the language at the relevant level;


• their increasing awareness of the culture(s) associated with the language;


• the level of language they have achieved at the end of the course.

 

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

 

Two assessments, covering productive and receptive skills.

Both assessments to take place in semester 2.

 

Formative assessment and feedback

Students will receive in-class verbal feedback on homework tasks and in-class performance.   

 

Module aims

• This module aims to introduce students to basic BSL. In terms of linguistic and cultural competence, the module aims to encourage students to develop basic communicative competence in the two core skills (receptive and productive)
• provide students with basic BSL vocabulary used in everyday communication
• give some insight into the British Deaf culture
• In terms of cultural awareness, this module aims to encourage students to take a different perspective and view the world from different cultural viewpoints
• analyse and understand linguistic and cultural barriers
• reflect on the influence of cultural values on behaviour
• become conscious of stereotypes and prejudices
• communicate with others in culturally appropriate ways
• In terms of study skills and transfer of skills and competencies, this module aims to encourage students to self-assess their progress
• support students in acquiring language learning strategies and techniques
• inspire independent learning and facilitate the acquisition of other foreign languages

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

 

• 
  Enable students to acquire explicit knowledge of the linguistic structures, grammar and vocabulary through attending classes regularly;


• 
  Encourage student participation and learner autonomy, through small group work, reading and practicing/preparing outside contact hours, and participating in class activities;


• 
  Develop ability to use linguists’ tools, such as dictionaries and IT resources;


• 
  Enable students to engage in analytical and evaluative thinking, to analyse and interpret texts and other cultural products, through attending classes and engaging in individual study;


• 
  Develop communication skills through interactions in class.

 

 

The learning and teaching methods include:

 

• 
  Two contact hours per week over 19 weeks in Semesters 1 & 2


• 
  Teaching will be in the target language as far as possible.


• 
  Classes will include group work, such as role play, and short presentations in the language.


• 
  Consolidation of learning will be by the practice of language skills inside and outside the classroom, using a variety of means, including computer-assisted language learning.

Students are expected to complete regular homework tasks in order to practice new structures and to prepare for in-class activities.

 

 

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: BSLL001

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.