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How to Sign ‘Name’ in British Sign Language (BSL) – Step-by-Step Guide with Video & Images

How to sign a name in BSL? Having a vocabulary is vital in any language, even if the language is sign language, such as British Sign Language or American Sign Language. Say you’re asking for the BSL names or some other sign names of some trees. You’ll need this word in those instances. As such, this is also one of the first words that you’ll encounter in your sign language lessons.

If you’re not familiar with the Deaf community or Deaf culture, you may not know that our names don’t have specific sign language names. A deaf person will usually associate a sign with the names of people that they know, but it’s more of a hack than a trait of the sign language.

Therefore, the entire process will need to be repeated for BSL, which is why we have created this blog to teach you How to Sign ‘Name’ in British Sign Language (BSL). Let’s get into the blog.

Table of Content

What is BSL?
How to Sign ‘Name’ in British Sign Language (BSL)?
Conclusion
FAQs
What to Read Next:

What is BSL?

BSL stands for British Sign Language, which is developed to communicate with people who have hearing issues in the United Kingdom setting. The primary purpose of BSL is to communicate in a British manner, distinct from that of any other country and its culture.

British Sign Language (BSL) is a complex and rich language that combines handshapes, facial expressions, lip patterns, and body language to convey meaning. It is the first or preferred language of over 87,000 people in the UK and is recognized as an official language in England, Wales, and Scotland.

How to Sign ‘Name’ in British Sign Language (BSL)?

We should preface our discussion by acknowledging that you can be a member of the deaf community and still hear perfectly fine. Sign languages aren’t exclusive to deaf people only.

For our purposes today, we’ll only discuss BSL. Remember, it’s a two-handed language, unlike American Sign Language (ASL). It means you’ll use both your hands to construct signs.

When you study sign language, especially two-handed languages like BSL, you’ll often hear the words “dominant hand” and “non-dominant hand.”

If you are right-handed, that’s your dominant hand. Your non-dominant hand is your left. We also refer to it as the base hand. Now, please watch the video we have linked below.

Please follow the steps we’ll discuss shortly.

1. Start with a normal posture.

2. Lift your dominant hand up to your forehead. Keep all your fingers in a fist except the index and middle finger. Extend them out fully and touch your forehead with them.

3. Now, make a salute gesture. See the video again for reference.
4. Say the word ‘name’ out loud while doing the sign.

Conclusion

So, that’s How to Sign ‘Name’ in British Sign Language (BSL). As you can see, it’s as easy as giving a salute. However, it’s still advisable to keep a regular practice. It’s language learning, after all. We’re not very good with vocabulary as it tends to get erased from our memory quite often if we don’t keep constant practice. Lastly, one massive tip: smile. It’s a good habit as it easily connects you with the people you’re communicating with.

FAQs

1. How Long Does It Take to Learn British Sign Language (BSL)?

Learning a language entirely depends on the process you follow to learn it. However, it typically takes 3 months to a year to learn all the ways in sign language.

2. Is it hard to learn BSL?

Absolutely not! You learn British Sign Language in the quickest time if you invest enough time and effort to learn it well.

3. Which one is more famous between BSL or ASL?

BSL stands for British Sign Language, and ASL stands for American Sign Language. Both are easy to learn, but they differ from each other, as they are used in different countries in connection with their cultural contexts and more.