Imagine learning to read and write a language you have never heard. That is where many deaf people start with English, and it is why Cambridgeshire Deaf Association is working with City College Peterborough on a new English course for deaf people.
The course starts on Tuesday 10 November and runs every Tuesday from 1pm to 3pm at City College, Brook Street, Peterborough PE1 1TU. Two BSL interpreters will be at every session.
Learning a language you cannot hear
For many deaf people, British Sign Language (BSL) is their first language. It has its own grammar and its own word order, and it is not English on the hands, so English comes second. And for deaf people who do not sign, English is still a hard language to learn when you cannot hear it.
Hearing children spend years listening to English before they learn to read it. They learn how words sound, then match those sounds to letters. Deaf children often miss that stage, so spelling, grammar and all the small words that hold a sentence together have to be learned by sight.
That gap follows people into adult life. Reading a letter from the GP, filling in a form, writing an email at work or sending a text can take far longer than it should, or mean relying on someone else to do it.
What the course covers
Charlene, from our Advocacy and Casework team, has set the course up with the college. The group will work together on writing and spelling, with BSL interpreters there for anyone who signs. The aim is to build confidence with written English in everyday life.
Our Advocacy and Casework team helps deaf people with letters and forms every week. This course is about giving people the skills and the confidence to do more of that for themselves.
A long partnership with City College
City College Peterborough is already home to our weekly Peterborough Drop-In, every Wednesday from 12pm to 2pm, and we have worked with the college for many years. Running the course there means it is in a building that many deaf people in Peterborough already know.
Who can join?
The course is open to all deaf people. To join, you need to live in Peterborough or Cambridgeshire, or be out of work. There are up to 10 places.
How to join
Please let us know by Thursday 22 October if you would like a place, so Charlene and the college can get everything ready before half term. Message us on Facebook or Instagram, WhatsApp our Advocacy and Casework team on 07485 998424, or get in touch with us.
If you know a deaf person who could benefit, please pass this on. Not everyone sees social media.
