Learn British Sign Language
We provide free sign language courses and classes for families with children who have any type or level of deafness. Explore our upcoming opportunities to learn British Sign Language (BSL) online below.
Free sign language courses and classes
Family Sign Language 1: Introductory course
Who's it for
- Families with a deaf child 0 to 5 years old.
- Children are welcome to join.
- No previous experience of sign language needed.
- Family members can join, using a maximum of 3 devices.
When and where
- Every Wednesday for six consecutive weeks
- Starts 2 April 2025, 7pm to 8pm
- Online via Zoom
What to expect
To help you develop communication within the home, you’ll learn signs you can include in your daily routines. Our experienced deaf tutors will cover a range of topics, including fingerspelling, family, food and drink, emotions and lots more.
There will be break out rooms for families living in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to learn signs local to where you live.
If you complete four or more sessions of our Family Sign Language course, you can join our follow-on course, Family Sign Language 2: Next Steps.
Family Sign Language One- to-One Course
If a group course is not suitable, you may qualify for one of our one-to-one family courses.
Who's it for
- Families with deaf children ages 0 to 5 years.
- Up to six family members can take part, so grandparents and other family members can join remotely.
When and where
- We have a very limited number of one-to-one courses available.
- The course is delivered over six sessions via Zoom at a time suitable for you.
What to expect
Our experienced tutors will teach you and your family signs that you can use in everyday family life. Topics include mealtimes, family members, talking about feelings and lots more.
We prioritise applications from:
- those who experience communication difficulties in the home
- young children with language and communication concerns
- families with no previous experience of learning sign language
- families with a child who needs additional learning support.
What other families thought…
“The course has been amazing and has taught us the basic signs needed to help my daughter with her communication. I would definitely recommend the course to others. We learnt so many signs that are now incorporated into our daily routines. Thank you so much!”
Vicky, parent of a deaf child
Joining our online events
We'll have experts on hand to support you in joining the event online. You can also watch or download our guide to joining online events.
Zoom auto-generated captions and BSL interpreters will be available.
Contact us
If you have any questions or require any other communication or language support, please email [email protected].