Student-led British Sign Language Club

The club is currently open to Stage 1, Stage 2 and 3 students, who are learning BSL with the Languages for All, the Institution-Wide Language Programme. 

If you are a Stage 1 student you’ll need to know the basics of BSL grammar and vocabulary, so you can get the most out of these meetings.  

If you are interested in coming along to future sessions, or have any questions, please email Ugo Marsili, u.marsili@reading.ac.uk. 

Join over 125 students from across the University by signing up to a BSL course with the University of Reading's Languages for All Programme, which allows you to learn a language as part of your degree for free as credit, or as paid extra as non-credit students.  

Languages for All also offers modules in Arabic, Mandarin, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Modern Greek and Spanish. To find out more about learning a language at UoR, the BSL course, and how to sign up, visit the Languages for All website. 

Find out what fellow students have to say about learning BSL at the University of Reading on the Languages for All blog, or check out our latest YouTube video .  

You can also read about how you’ll learn on a Languages for All module and the reasons why you should take a Languages for All module.

Throughout the academic year, Ugo Marsili, the University’s Language Lead in BSL and a Diversity and Inclusion trainer in the Department of Languages and Cultures, organises BSL film screenings. 

These film screenings offer students and staff the opportunity to practise their ‘receptive skills’ and understand the importance of non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions, lip patterns and body language, alongside the signing itself.

Daisy Thompson, one of the students who attended the film screening, said: “I am currently in Level 1 of learning BSL and wanted to expand my knowledge further by seeing BSL in action. The film was both moving and exciting, and I valued meeting new people who share the same interest for learning about Deaf culture and sign language as I do. Being part of such a kind, supportive and passionate audience was a great experience that I will not forget throughout my time at university.”

Angela Buckingham, Programme Director from the Academic Practice Programme in CQSD, said: “For me, it was powerful to be sitting in the room next to Deaf teachers, students of BSL and others who may have had similar first-hand experiences of stigma, struggle and overcoming trauma. Huge thanks to Ugo Marsilli for organising such a thought-provoking and ultimately inspiring event for staff and students to attend.”

BSL resources to help support your independent learning:

• British Sign Language Video Dictionary

• 'The enchanting music of sign language' TED Talk by Christine Sun Kim

• Follow The Signs by Chris Fonseca and Harry Jardine

•New British Sign Language allows people to talk about climate change