From 'Thank You' To 'Climate Change': How British Sign Language Adapts

From "thank you" in sign language to everything related to climate change: now that British Sign Language (BSL) has expanded its vocabulary with new signs, students and professionals from the Deaf community can also engage meaningfully with this important topic and share their perspectives too.

From thank you in sign language to climate change: Two individuals engage in a conversation using sign language (Pexels, Shvets Production)

Throughout the years, British Sign Language (BSL) has continuously adapted to the times, mirroring the linguistic requirements of its users as well as cultural and societal shifts within both the deaf community and the broader society.

And now, terms related to 'climate change' have been included, allowing signers to engage effectively with this hot topic. The inclusion of approximately 200 new environmental terms, such as "greenhouse gases" and "carbon footprint," in BSL is aiding in making climate science more accessible to deaf children, scientists, and the broader deaf community.

A Personal Experience

Dr. Audrey Cameron, who headed the Scottish Sensory Centre’s BSL Glossary project responsible for the new signs, previously shared with British media her personal experiences as a member of the deaf community. She often faced a shortage of vocabulary during her scientific career, which resulted in her feeling excluded from crucial meetings and discussions.

"I wanted to talk with people about chemistry, and I just wasn’t able to," she said, and added: "I was involved in research for 11 years, and went to numerous meetings. But, I was never truly involved, because I couldn’t understand what people were saying."

Liam McMulkin, a biology and science teacher from Glasgow who participated in the project's sign-creation workshops, also shared with media that while hearing individuals are 'constantly learning and gaining knowledge,' deaf individuals 'miss out on a significant amount of information' wherever they are.

"I was involved in research for 11 years, and went to numerous meetings. But, I was never truly involved, because I couldn’t understand what people were saying."

Visual Language

Among the new signs are carbon footprint, greenhouse gases, biodiversity, ecosystems, and pollution. In the past, deaf individuals needed to finger-spell long and complex scientific terms, which made it difficult for them to understand and engage in discussions. However, the UK deaf community can now use these new signs instead of spelling out each word letter by letter, which also helps with visualisation.

For instance, people from this community can now illustrate the concept of greenhouse gases by moving closed fists in a circular motion, representing gas molecules in the atmosphere. Dr. Audrey Cameron mentioned, "Our goal is to develop ideal signs that represent scientific ideas visually." Mr. McMulkin added, "The beauty of sign language – particularly for science – is that it’s a visual language."

"The beauty of sign language – particularly for science – is that it’s a visual language."

From Thank You In Sign Language To Climate Change

Since 2005, when the Scottish Sensory Centre (SSC) started including specific terms into British Sign Language, the glossary has grown to almost 2,000 signs and a similar number of definitions in fields like mathematics, science, technology, and engineering. From basic gestures like "thank you" in sign language to intricate discussions on global matters, British Sign Language is continually developing. This dynamic nature of BSL not only enriches the language itself but also strengthens the identity and culture of the Deaf community.