![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/mr-tyrese-behind-the-scenes-of-sense-sign-school-1024x684.jpg\")
Like Sense, Tyrese wants more people to learn to sign to help reduce loneliness and social isolation among disabled people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, we joined forces to create\u00a0fun video lessons teaching simple signs\u00a0on topics like family, entertainment and festive celebrations. More than 80,000 people signed up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are four things I learned along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BSL is a language. It\u2019s not English with signs.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
I knew this. I knew that BSL has its own word structure, starting with the main subject or topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I did a BSL beginner\u2019s course a few years back. I knew that \u2018My name is Karen\u2019 in English is \u2018Name me Karen\u2019 in BSL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But knowing something and truly understanding it are two different things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was only as I watched Tyrese and the BSL interpreters working on the translation between the English and BSL scripts for filming the video lessons that I began to truly understand. It\u2019s no less a task than translating English into, say, French or Russian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BSL is more than hand gestures.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Lip shape, body movements and facial expressions are equally important. Again, I knew this. But there\u2019s nothing like watching fluent signers in action to reinforce the point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I loved watching Tyrese show the difference between signing \u201cIt\u2019s windy\u201d and \u201cIt\u2019s really windy\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On a mime course I did many years ago, I had to lose my inhibitions and learn to use my whole body to express myself. I need to remember to do the same when I practise my signing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BSL has different dialects across the country, just like spoken languages.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Did you know there are seven different ways of signing \u201ctoilet\u201d depending on where you live? I didn\u2019t until filming Sense Sign School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes, Tyrese and the interpreters had to decide whether a sign was too local to Brum or personal to his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It reminded me of my mum using the word \u2018hunger bunk\u2019. In our family, it meant you were so hungry you felt sick. I have yet to meet anyone who has heard the phrase or knows what it means outside my family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes there is no easy match between English and BSL.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
One of the most memorable moments for me during filming was watching the debate and laughing together over how to sign \u2018pigs in blankets\u2019 (Tyrese\u2019s favourite festive food) and \u2018Brussel sprouts\u2019 (his most hated festive food).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A reminder that there are fewer signs in BSL than there are words in the English language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let me fast forward to today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Tyrese has won a Pride of Birmingham award and is named in The Independent\u2019s Happy List 2021 celebrating inspirational people driving positive change in Britain. He’s just won a Points of Light award, given by the government’s Cabinet Office<\/a>. And he\u2019s now up for a Pride of Britain award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such recognition is well-deserved. It\u2019s been an absolute joy working with Tyrese and watching him grow in confidence. His cheeky ad libs during filming are some of my favourite moments in the video lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As someone who has hearing loss and knows what it\u2019s like to feel left out of conversations, I feel privileged to have played a part in encouraging more people to learn to sign so that Deaf people aren\u2019t excluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n