The Level 2 Certificate in British Sign Language builds on BSL Level 1. The course develops your signing skills and increases your vocabulary. You’ll then be able to join longer, more detailed everyday conversations.
This is a video summary of this post:
The Level 2 certificate follows Signature‘s BSL Level 2 syllabus. It has four themes. You can find the BSL level 2 specification on the awarding body’s website:
- Theme 1 focuses on basic conversation skills
- Theme 2 focuses on eating and drinking
- Theme 3 focuses on shopping and spending
- Theme 4 focuses on travel and holidays
Theme 1
Theme 1 focuses on improving your basic conversation skills. You will cover topics that such as:
- Describe the characteristics of people, animals and objects. For example, how to describe a person’s height, weight, hair colour, and ethnicity.
- Describe school or work, your daily routine and the layout of places you have visited.
- Describe everyday activities such as cooking a meal, going to an event or engaging in an activity
Theme 2
Theme 2 focuses on eating and drinking, so you cover a range of topics so that you can:
- Describe food types, different types of meals and a range of drinks
- Describe events shared with friends and family
- Be able to express your views on different foods and experiences you have had.
Theme 3
Theme 3 focuses on shopping and spending. You will cover a range of topics that will enable you to:
- Describe the different types of shops, different payment methods, receipts, and refunds. Explain services such as PayPal.
- Describe and discuss your shopping experiences, including buying things online
- Compare the sizes, costs, and quality of items you have bought
The video below is from Alan Davison who runs Sign Right in Preston. He has a range of videos on YouTube covering vocabulary from Levels 1 – 3.
Theme 4
Theme 4 focuses on BSL signs used when discussing travel and holidays. You will cover a range of topics that could include:
- Describing a holiday experience. It can be a hotel, B&B, or campsite. Was it all-inclusive? Did you have a good or bad experience?
- Describing travel arrangements such as buying tickets or booking flights.
- Comparing holiday experiences or journeys. What made them good or bad?
Assessments:
To achieve BSL Level 2, you need to complete three assessments. They test skills needed to sign in everyday situations. The Level 2 exam summary is as follows:
201: a multiple choice test to check your understanding of signed BSL.
202: a presentation skills assessment to check how you present information in BSL
203: a conversation skills test to assess your ability to have a conversation on an everyday topic
You can look at the Signature BSL level 2 specification for a more detailed description of each theme on the curriculum.
How long does BSL Level 2 take?
To achieve BSL Level 2, Signature suggests you complete 100 guided learning hours with a tutor plus 50+ hours of personal study. You can choose to complete your BSL Level 2 online or face-to-face in a classroom.
Online (Ofqual) BSL Courses
Some course providers enable you to work through online course materials. You then attend a minimum number of short sessions with a tutor. Be aware that exam fees are not always included in the course fees
Classroom (Ofqual) BSL Courses
Most course providers offer group courses for learners who prefer in-person classes. Classes are usually held weekly. Signature suggests that course providers limit the number of students on a course. Group courses are currently limited to 15 students per course. This is so tutors can give students sufficient attention. This is essential for students who may struggle with some of the topics.
Other benefits of attending classroom sessions are:
- Group interaction enhances your learning. You learn from your peers as well as your BSL tutor.
- You get the ‘human touch’ and learn the appropriate cultural behaviours with a Deaf person in the room
- Courses are standardised so you cover all the relevant information during your classroom sessions.
- You can practise with other Deaf community members who visit classroom sessions
- You get hands-on experience and interaction with someone who uses BSL every day
- You have time to focus on learning BSL without home distractions
- You make new friends!
BSL Level 2 near me:
Below is our list of recommended, verified Ofqual courses that offer sign language certification online.
BSL Level 2 online courses:
BSL Courses is a hybrid course. You watch videos but also have online tutorials with qualified BSL tutors.
BSL First offers BSL Level 2 online only.
B.S.L Training is based in Kent. They offer both online and classroom courses.
Deaf Action is based in Scotland. They offer both online and classroom courses.
Deaf Unity is based in London. They offer both online and classroom courses.
Deaf Solutions 3 is offering BSL Level 2 online only.
HiKent is based in Kent. They offer both online and classroom courses.
Remark is based in London. They offer both online and classroom courses.
Sh BSL is based in Norfolk. The tutor offers both online and classroom courses
Simply Signed is based in Essex. They offer both online and classroom courses.
BSL Level 2 classroom courses:
BSL Ladder, based in Blackburn
CityLit, based in London.
Heathlands are based in St Albans
Manchester Deaf Centre, based in Manchester
Signwise, based in Norwich.
Some of the tutors run a BSL Level 2 intensive course. These type of courses are suitable for learners who may already use BSL at an intermediate level. Intensive courses are not recommended for learners who have only just passed BSL Level 1. Learning sign language, like any other language, takes time. You need to factor in muscle memory, e.g. remembering where the letters are on your hands when fingerspelling. So intensive courses are not suitable for everybody.
What is a BSL Level 2 qualification equivalent to?
A BSL Level 2 certificate is equivalent to a GCSE 4 – 9 (what used to be A*—C). The new GCSE, which starts in 2025, will combine the curriculum from Level 1 and Level 2. Secondary school students will learn over 1000 signs.
How much do BSL Level 2 courses cost?
Level 2 courses range in cost from £400 – £1000. The cost varies depending on whether courses include assessment fees or not. You can check this with your course provider before you start.
New learners often wonder why BSL courses are so ‘expensive’. Course fees usually include teaching hours and the provision of resources. Signature (the awarding body) charges additional centre registration fees as well as the fees charged to students for each assessment of a learner’s competency. Unfortunately, exam fees are mandatory if you wish to gain a nationally recognised qualification.
Course costs also vary across the UK to accommodate additional costs such as classroom hire or subscriptions to online video call services (e.g. Zoom).
Some course providers prefer to wait until you have completed one or two modules before asking you to pay your exam fees. This is to confirm you are ready to do the exams. Occasionally, students have committed to the assessments and then failed.
BSL tutors know some learners take longer to achieve competency. Most tutors will only put you forward for assessments when they are confident you will pass. Passing an exam is never 100% guaranteed. But most BSL tutors are aware of the pain of failing. They work hard to help students succeed. Thankfully, BSL exams are usually straightforward and have a high pass rate. Nothing beats the relief you feel knowing you’ve passed your BSL exams! You can check the pass/fail rates on Signature’s website.
Can I learn BSL Level 2 for free?
Can you learn BSL Level 2 for free? No, because BSL level 2 is an intermediate course. You must complete 100 structured learning hours to show competence at this level. No regulated course provider can afford to teach this level for free, given the hours you need.
A few Ofqual-registered course providers offer a free trial such as bslcourses.co.uk. Any ‘free’ course is unlikely to be high quality. They may even harm your ability to become a competent signer. If you plan to use BSL in the future, avoid free or cheap Level 2 BSL courses. You know the saying, “if it’s too good to be true”, it probably is. You will likely waste time and money completing a cheap course. It is always better to enroll in a regulated course.
What jobs can I do with BSL level 2?
A BSL Level 2 qualification is the minimum required for some jobs you can do with BSL. BSL level 2 is equal to a GCSE, so it is a stepping stone towards becoming fluent. Generally, learners need BSL Level 2 for work as a Communication Support Worker (CSW) for primary school children. If you support older children, particularly teens, then BSL Level 3 is needed to match the fluency of the student and GCSE curriculum.
Working as a CSW helps learners gain experience. experience of working with Deaf people is helpful if you want to be a Sign Language interpreter. The Association of Sign Language Interpreters (ASLI) provides further information on becoming an interpreter for learners interested in pursuing a new career.
Parent of a Deaf child?
Did you know that 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents? You could learn basic baby BSL signs to communicate with your child. The National Deaf Children’s Society also provides lots of resources. They include free BSL classes. If your child is given an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan some authorities fund BSL classes for parents. Check out the NDCS website for more details.
Some course providers also offer discounts to parents of deaf children. You will need to ask the course provider directly about these type of discounts.
Our Study Tips and Guides
You can improve your fluency and understanding of British Sign Language in many ways. Check out our guides and tips for improving particular skills, such as fingerspelling. Not ready for BSL Level 2? Then, head over to look at what’s covered on BSL Level 1 and BSL Basics.
Before you go:
Here are a few more articles that might be useful to you: