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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.

Annual Salary

variable

Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)

Working hours

16 to 30 term time

You could work: evenings; occasionally

4.3%
Future employment

There will be 4.3% more British Sign Language teacher jobs in 2027.

Day to day tasks

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.

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
For more information
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.

For more information
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.

Requirements and restrictions

You'll need to:

More information

Further information

You can find out more about how to become a British Sign Language teacher from Signature.

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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

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

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
  • knowledge of psychology
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
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