British Sign Language For Dummies

Learn British Sign Language quickly and easily with this essential guide and CD-Rom This lively guide introduces the key hand shapes and gestures you need to communicate in British Sign Language. The illustrations depict both the actions and facial expressions used to sign accurately, while the companion CD-Rom features real-life BSL conversations in action to further your understanding. With these practical tools, you'll become an expert signer in no time! British Sign Language For Dummies includes: Starting to sign - learn about Deaf communication and practise simple signs to get you going Learning everyday BSL - develop the grammar and vocabulary skills that are the building blocks to using British Sign Language Getting out and about - sign with confidence in a wide range of real-life situations, from travelling to dating Looking into Deaf life - learn about the history of the Deaf Community and how they've adapted their technology and lifestyles to suit their needs For corrections to this book, please click here: href="http://www.wiley.com/legacy/wileyblackwell/BSLcorrectionslip.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.wiley.com/legacy/wileyblackwell/BSLcorrectionslip.pdf Note: CD files are available to download when buying the eBook version

Autorentext

This book is written and illustrated by a team from the Faculty of Deaf Education and Learning Support at City Lit. City Lit is a London-based adult education centre, providing courses to over 24,000 students every year. The Faculty of Deaf Education and Learning Support provides a comprehensive programme of courses and training including accredited British Sign Language courses for both Deaf and hearing learners.

Inhalt

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Conventions Used in This Book 1

Foolish Assumptions 2

How This Book Is Organised 3

Part I: Starting to Sign 3

Part II: Everyday BSL 3

Part III: Getting Out and About 3

Part IV: Looking into Deaf Life 3

Part V: The Part of Tens 3

Part VI: Appendixes 4

Icons Used in This Book 4

Where to Go from Here 4

Part I: Starting to Sign 5

Chapter 1: Discovering Who's Who and How They Communicate 7

Different Groups of Deaf People 7

Who's dumb? 7

Understanding who's who 8

and how do they communicate? 10

Attracting a Deaf Person's Attention? 13

Touching on the arm or shoulder 13

Waving 14

Stamping on the floor 14

Switching the light on and off 14

Watch My Lips! 14

Chapter 2: Sign Language You Didn't Know You Knew 17

Signs That Make Sense 17

Gestures 17

How do you sign this word? 18

How does BSL create new signs? 19

Making It Clear with Body Language 20

Let Me Spell It Out: Finger-spelling 20

Left or right? 22

Watch my lips not my fingers 23

Now you see it, now you don't 23

Funny Faces 24

Using funny faces 25

No! Not me! 25

Oh yes! 25

Are you happy? 25

Getting Your Hands into Shape 26

What is a hand shape? 26

Simple Sentences: Sign Order 28

Chronological order 28

Question forms 28

Part II: Everyday BSL 31

Chapter 3: Meeting and Greeting 33

Greetings! Starting a Conversation 33

Asking questions: Who? What? Why? When? Where? Which? How? 34

WH questions (open) 35

Yes/no questions (closed) 36

Rhetorical questions 37

Getting to Know You 37

What's in a Name? 40

Where do you live? 40

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye 47

Chapter 4: Knowing Me, Knowing You 53

Don't Point! It's Rude! Or Is It? 53

Telling Others about Yourself 54

Family and friends 54

Talking about your job 58

Discussing your workplace 60

Chapter 5: Expressing Your Feelings 69

How's Life? Talking about Your Feelings 69

You OK? Talking about your health 75

Where does it hurt? 79

Just take one of these 85

999 Emergency 88

Chapter 6: Nailing Numbers 95

Explaining Regional Signs 95

Numbers? Count me in 96

Who's first? 102

Telling the time 103

Talking about money 105

Asking someone's age 107

Chapter 7: Describing Weather, Colour, and Clothes 119

Signing Come Rain, Come Shine 119

Describing Colours 123

Developing Dress Sense 125

Eyeing up everyday clothes 126

Mentioning the unmentionables 129

Wrapping up winter warmth 130

Putting a spring in your signs 134

Summer sun (if you're lucky) 135

Part III: Getting Out and About 141

Chapter 8: Getting from A to B 143

Signing Space 143

Placement of signs 144

Prepositions 144

How Do I Get to ? 145

Getting to and from work 148

Location, location, location 152

Looking out for local landmarks 153

Countryside landmarks 157

Out on the Town 159

Chapter 9: Arranging Not So Blind Dates 167

Getting Tense about Time 167

Arranging to Meet 169

Today's the day 169

When shall we meet? 172 <...