British Sign Language teacher
British Sign Language (BSL) teachers teach sign language to children, young people and adults, and teach other subjects using sign language.
Also known as: BSL tutor
- Typical hours16 to 30 a week
What you'll do
Your daily routine will depend on the age group you're working with, but you may:
- plan and prepare lessons
- teach students sign language
- teach curriculum subjects to students, using sign language
- check and record students' progress
- work with staff teams to develop new courses and teaching materials
- talk to parents and carers about students' progress
Working environment
You could work at a school, at a special needs school, at a language school, at a college or in the community.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
- the ability to work well with others
- knowledge of English language
- sensitivity and understanding
- the ability to understand people's reactions
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- to be flexible and open to change
- the ability to create the best conditions for learning or teaching new things
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a british Sign Language teacher
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- working towards this role
- training with a professional body
University
You can do a foundation degree or a degree in British Sign Language (BSL) and deaf studies.
Some knowledge of BSL will be helpful when you apply, though this is not always essential.
After finishing your course, you could go on to complete a teaching qualification, like a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE), which you may need if you want to teach in schools.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- at least 1 A level, or equivalent, for a foundation degree
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
College
You can do a Level 1 and 2 Certificate in British Sign Language (BSL) before moving on to a higher level qualification.
Employers including schools and colleges usually look for a minimum of a Level 3 or 4 Certificate in British Sign Language. Some will ask for a Level 6 Certificate.
To work as a BSL teacher, you'll normally be expected to have a qualification in your own subject area aside from BSL, and a teaching qualification.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
Work
You can start as a sign language teaching assistant or communication support worker and do training on the job to get a British Sign Language (BSL) qualification at level 3 or higher.
You can then do further study for a teaching or training qualification to become a BSL teacher.
You can also train in BSL, if you're already working as a teacher in a school or college.
Other routes
You can complete British Sign Language (BSL) qualifications with a professional body like Signature . Qualifications start from introductory level up to level 6.
It is recommended that you work towards a Level 6 Certificate in British Sign Language, if you want be a BSL teacher.
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks
Career path and progression
You could:
- become a British Sign Language (BSL) teaching co-ordinator in a school or college
- take on responsibility for building links with employers to offer work experience opportunities to students
- do further training in lipspeaking, deafblind communication and deaf awareness
- work freelance
- set up your own BSL teacher agency
Career tips
The length of time it takes to complete a BSL qualification varies, depending on how you choose to study. For example, a Level 6 Certificate takes 360 learning hours . You can discuss study options with your training provider.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleBritish Sign Language interpreter
- Job roleCommunication support worker
- Job roleSpecial educational needs (SEN) teaching assistant
- Job roleSpecial educational needs (SEN) teacher
- Job roleFurther education teacher
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0