Peoples Republic of South Devon

Flap your hands say yeah

May 26th, 2006

Anyone who’s seen Jason Patric in Speed 2 knows that being able to do sign language is A Very Good Thing Indeed and a top way of impressing ver laydeez.
That’s why RNID, the charity representing the nine million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK, is encouraging citizens of the People’s Republic to learn British Sign Language.
They’re offering a one-, two- or three-day Start To Sign course, where a deaf trainer (or a plimsoll with an ear trumpet, arf!) will come and wiggle their fingers a bit at groups of up to 12 people.
If organising that sounds too much like hard work, you can also order a RNID Start To Sign pack, which boasts a lovely book and a CD.
The tome contains photographs of more than 1,000 everyday signs and information about BSL and its grammar, while the CD contains video clips and an animated fingerspelling programme.
Heck, you can even test your progress with one of the new-fangled interactive quizzes. What japes.
But if all else fails, you could probably just use the CD to reflect sunlight and communicate using Morse Code. The possibilities are literally endless.
To find out more, move your hands in the general direction of Royal National Institute of the Deaf.
Then you too could be wooing Sandra Bullock on a boat run by terrorists. Pretty good, huh?

Posted by Thin White Duke

Entry Filed under: Society