The Past and Future Tenses Are Reflected by 2 Different Locations

BSL Timeline

It’s the placement of an action or object in time – it qualifies its placement in time and gives further context to what you mean to express.

The past and future tenses are reflected by 2 different locations: Past – behind the shoulder Future – in front of shoulder

Sign examples  Recent: Prime hand held open with fingers pointing upward and near prime shoulder. Fingers then bend over a couple of times.

 Tomorrow: Index finger of prime hand held at cheek and then moves forward.

 Yesterday: Index of prime hand touches nearest cheek and then moves back over shoulder.

BSL Timeline

1880, 6th – 11th September Milan Conference. The infamous Milan Conference in 1880 ruled that deaf people across the world should be taught using only the oral method banning sign language for the deaf from schools.

1890 British Deaf Association founded by Francis Maginn to protect British Sign Language and the Deaf community following the Milan Conference. The British Deaf Association aimed to protect and preserve British Sign Language and the Deaf community.

1960s American Sign Language is recognised as a language in its own right setting the trend for the rest of the world to follow.

1976 Department for Health and Social Security grant the British Deaf Association £133,000 for a Communication Skills Project. The project focuses on teaching people British Sign Language as there was much concern that British Sign Language was in decline.

1980, December After the success of the Communication Skills Project, an organisation called the Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People (CACDP) is formed. CACDP establish a register for BSL interpreters and CACDP push for more people to learn BSL.

1988, 17th June The European Parliament vote unanimously in favour of a resolution that asks all

Deaf Solutions 3 © L2 Handout Information BSL Timeline member states to recognise their national sign language as an official language. However it takes the UK 15 years to acknowledge the request.

2001, 1st October CACDP launch accredited qualifications in British Sign Language encouraging hearing people to learn BSL and continue its development as a language.

2003, 18th March British Sign Language is recognised in the UK as a language in its own right. However it isn’t recognised as an official language of the UK.

2004, 30th March Northern Ireland gives official recognition to British Sign Language and Irish Sign Language.

2009, 5th January CACDP changes its name to Signature in an effort to further push BSL qualifications and encourage more people to become interpreters or communication support workers.