April 15, 2024 - 252 views
Coleg Llandrillo had its most successful event yet celebrating Sign Language Week.
The college hosted taster sessions, competitions and other activities to mark the week, from March 18 to 24.
The packed schedule of events was such a hit that Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s introductory sign language courses are almost full for the summer, with just a handful of places left at Coleg Llandrillo and Coleg Menai.
Sign Language Week is a flagship awareness week for British Sign Language (BSL) and Irish Sign Language. It is celebrated every year in March to commemorate the first time BSL was acknowledged as a language in its own right by the UK Government on 18 March 2003.
To mark the occasion, a range of activities were organised at Coleg Llandrillo’s Rhos-on-Sea campus.
Learners created videos of their favourite signs which were shared on social media, while there was a focus event for staff so they could become more confident using BSL.
More than 40 staff and students learned signs at a stand in the heart space, including how to spell their names using the BSL alphabet.
There were discussions and Q&A sessions, two online talks on BSL with the Prison Officers’ Association, and a three-hour taster session for people working in the justice service.
Books about sign language and deaf issues were on display in the college libraries, while a competition was held in which participants guessed how long BSL has been taught at the college.
Abi Woodyear, Grŵp Llandrillo Menai Deaf Studies Coordinator, said: “Everyone was very surprised to learn that we have been teaching BSL since 1989!”
She added: “This has been our most successful event yet celebrating British Sign Language, and it was great to see our students getting involved and sharing their videos of BSL words and phrases.
“We will now get ready for Deaf Awareness Week (May 6 to 12), which looks at a broader range of Deaf issues.”
Grŵp Llandrillo Menai offers An Introduction to British Sign Language at Coleg Llandrillo in Rhos-on-Sea and Coleg Menai in Bangor. Both courses are free of charge.
There are a few places left at Bangor for the summer course, which starts on April 12. There are also two places left on the course at Coleg Llandrillo, which started on April 9.
The course gives learners an insight into deafness and develops their signing skills. It will also alleviate any apprehension learners may have when meeting Deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
Coleg Llandrillo also offers courses in British Sign Language up to Level 4.
If you’re interested in enrolling for An Introduction to British Sign Language at either Coleg Llandrillo or Coleg Menai, contact a.woodyear@gllm.ac.uk
To see the full range of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s courses in Sign Language and Deaf studies, visit gllm.ac.uk and search ‘sign language’
