There isn’t one “best” way to learn British Sign Language. Several routes work well in the UK – online courses, evening classes, local adult-education providers, free resources and formal qualifications – and the right one depends on your goal, your budget and how much time you can give each week.
For many beginners, a structured online course is a simple place to start, especially if you want to learn at home and fit your study around work, family or other commitments.
Our online course suits people who want a set course without committing to weekly classes. You work through the sections in your own time, and it can sit alongside evening classes if you take BSL further. We’ve also included routes we don’t run, so you can compare your options.
Build a solid foundation in BSL at your own pace with ten video-based sections, short end-of-section assessments and a downloadable certificate of completion.
Best for
Weekly, tutor-led classes run by colleges, adult-education centres and Deaf organisations across the UK.
Best for
Great for daily practice on the go. Strongest alongside a course you work through, rather than used on its own.
Best for
Our course can help you start using simple everyday signs at home, including food, bedtime, feelings, family and names. It is not a replacement for specialist support for families, but it can be a useful first step alongside guidance from your local services and free resources from the National Deaf Children’s Society.
NDCS family videosOur CPD-certified course gives staff a practical introduction to everyday BSL signs, including greetings, names, numbers, family, feelings and basic questions. It can help with simple interactions, but it is not a replacement for a qualified BSL/English interpreter in appointments, safeguarding situations, formal meetings or more complex conversations. The certificate also gives staff something tangible for their training record.
Short, regular sessions work best. Our printable family-vocabulary and greetings sheets are a gentle starting point alongside the course.
Free printablesA short prompt to point you in the right direction. None of these rule each other out – it’s normal to combine them.
It depends on what you mean by ‘learn’. Many adults can start having very simple conversations after working through our 10-section course (around 20 hours of study) and practising the signs. Reaching a regulated qualification level takes longer, typically a year of weekly classes, and becoming truly fluent usually takes several years of real-world signing.
Yes, partially. Our printable fingerspelling charts are free and the National Deaf Children’s Society publishes free family BSL videos. For a set curriculum and a certificate of completion, our CPD-certified online course is Pay What You Can from £5 – you choose what to pay.
Yes, you can begin learning BSL online. A self-study course can introduce fingerspelling, everyday vocabulary, basic phrases and some features of BSL grammar. Developing conversational BSL also requires regular practice producing and understanding signs, ideally with other signers or a tutor.
Pricing varies widely. A typical Level 1 evening class costs around £300 plus exam fees. Some local councils, charities and FE colleges run subsidised or free classes, especially for parents of Deaf children. Our online course is Pay What You Can from £5.
No. Makaton is a communication system that borrows some BSL signs and uses them alongside spoken English to support people with learning or communication difficulties. BSL is a full natural language with its own grammar, used by the Deaf community.
Absolutely. Left-handed signers are a normal part of the BSL community. Pick whichever hand feels natural as your dominant hand and stick with it. We have a dedicated guide to left-handed signing on this site.
Try your local college or adult-education centre first – many run Level 1 BSL courses in the evening during term-time. If your goal is a regulated qualification (Level 1 to Level 6), look for centres that are approved by Signature, the UK awarding body for sign language qualifications. You can also ask local Deaf clubs, Deaf charities or council adult-learning teams, as provision varies a lot by area.
Note: our online course is a CPD-certified introductory course, not a regulated Level 1 BSL qualification.
Short end-of-section assessments, a downloadable certificate of completion and two years’ access. Pay What You Can from £5. One payment. No subscription.
