Product Description

Interest in British Sign Language (BSL) is growing at a fantastic rate, and classes for hearing people are mushrooming all over the country. This lively introduction to the principles of the language and its vocabulary will therefore be widely welcomed, giving a vivid insight into a form of communication that can appear difficult for those whose first language is English. As the author takes pains to stress, BSL is not a mimed version of English. Equally rich and complex, it is visual, gestural and spatial, able to convey information and subtleties of meaning as fluently as any spoken language. Once learners have ceased to think in terms of individual words, they will come to revel in a language that involves the whole person: facial and bodily expression and movement, eye contact and gaze, lip pattern and the fluid movements of the signs themselves, all combining to form an integrated language system with rules of its own. Using detailed drawings throughout to illustrate nuances of meaning, the author groups the signs according to type, introducing each theme and showing how facial expressions, hand and finger movements and placements are used and combined to vary the sense of what is being communicated. Her aim is to equip the reader with a basic understanding of the principles of sign language and a working knowledge of its vocabulary. In an ideal world BSL would be part of every school's curriculum, whether the pupils were deaf or not, thus giving deaf people the status in society which is their right. Meanwhile, this book will make an important contribution to the growing interest in learning the language, so that more and more people will appreciate that signs really do make sense.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6609 in Books
• Published on: 1990-05-17
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

'The Teacher'
"Great books to help further understanding of the language of deaf people."

'British Deaf News'
"A very useful book."

From the Author
The principles of British Sign Language for beginners
Published by Souvenir Press, London in 1990, SIGNS MAKE SENSE was the first book of its kind concerning British Sign Language, offering a "lively and fascinating introduction to its principles".

The book considers how handshapes and sign locations can be linked to meaning, encouraging the reader to think visually rather than through words. It includes a section explaining how time is marked in BSL, number incorporation, handshapes representing people and vehicles, the central role of facial and bodily expression, and some of the factors involved in its diverse variations.

The layout is clear and accessible and designed to help beginners to recognise some of the basic principles and structures of BSL through an understanding of its internal logic, whilst at the same time, developing a working knowledge of its vocabulary.

Customer Reviews

A very good book for beginners
This book is an invaluable book for biginners ang those doing stage 1-2 BSL. The pictures are easy to follow and clear.The book also gives you a clear understanding of hand shape and facial expresions as well as some history of BSL.

Invaluable for beginners of bsl
I wish I'd had this book from the beginning of bsl year 1. It really does make sense of why a sign is used and takes away the confusion. The text is well written and easy to understand. I would recommend it to anyone interested in British sign language. It does what it says on the front cover.

The best BSL book I've seen
I need to echo the five stars of all the other reviewers.

In a sea of BSL books that just contain words and pictures, this actually makes sense of BSL. For example, instead of showing one finger as a person and two fingers on a hand as a person walking, it goes into how all the different ways and words in which a person can be represented by one finger - or two fingers in the case of walking and other related words. There is also sensible grouping - all the "thinking/knowing/forgetting" words together with signs grouped around the head. And a section representing all the "good" words with the "good"/thumbs-up handshape.

And as such, you read the book once, and you remember the signs you've seen.

Again, by far the best I've seen (of around 8 books).