From 'Thank You' To 'Climate Change': The Evolution Of British Sign Language

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

While "thank you" in sign language is widely known, are there signs for climate change? In the United Kingdom, British Sign Language (BSL) now includes new official signs, enabling students and professionals in the deaf community to engage with this relevant topic.

Over the years, British Sign Language (BSL) has experienced notable changes and adaptations. This development mirrors both the linguistic requirements of its users and the cultural and societal transformations within the deaf community and the wider society. Recently, terms associated with 'climate change' have been incorporated into BSL to enable signers to discuss contemporary issues effectively. The addition of around 200 new environmental terms like "greenhouse gases" and "carbon footprint" to BSL is helping make climate science more accessible to deaf children, scientists, and the wider deaf community.

A Personal Experience

Dr. Audrey Cameron, who headed the Scottish Sensory Centre’s BSL Glossary project responsible for the new signs, 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, informed British 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 helps with visualization.

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.