What verb do you use for knowing BSL?

[CanICelebrate]

Do you say ‘he speaks BSL’ or ‘he uses BSL’ for someone who has BSL as a first language or someone who is fluent in BSL?

I’ve tried google but it’s ambiguous!

It is a sentence I want to write in an email and don’t want to get it wrong and accidentally offend.

Definitely not speaks, it’s not a spoken language

I would go with x communicates using BSL

Really helpful responses!

I thought it would be ‘use’ but has a moment of doubt about the word ‘speak’ (even though it’s pretty obvious that speak is the wrong word!)

@ChickenShedLife

Who “knows” BSL?

I'm a Teacher of the Deaf and we tend to say this if a child has BSL but it doesn't really explain if it's their main language. Fred uses BSL would probably suggest he uses BSL over spoken language. Or he is a BSL user.

Definitely not speak.

I am not asking about disability and that would be clear in the context of my email. I also know the people I am emailing.

I am learning BSL (I’ve only done 12 hours so far) and wanted to know if any of my colleagues use BSL as I think I have got to the point where I need to practice with a real person not just my virtual tutor!

Definitely use BSL then. It doesn't matter whether it's their first language or main language in this context. You just need someone who is fluent in BSL.

So I'd ask is anyone a fluent BSL user?

@ToDuk

I wanted to be a Teacher of the Deaf when I was younger and started learning BSL but due to children/ job changes/ moving area etc it didn’t happen.
I think I’m too old to do it now but I’m determined to learn the language properly and hopefully might have an opportunity to use it at some stage in my role in education.

How old are you @CanICelebrate ? My colleague was over 50 when she trained and will retire next year after 12 years in the job. I'd say go for it! Great you are learning BSL, whatever you do with it though.

Please don't give up on the idea of learning BSL, you never know whose day/month/year/life you could make a very big difference to, just because you can communicate with them!
You never know, you may really take to it and train to become an interpreter - there really aren't enough to go around and it's such a fulfilling role ☺️

'BSL user' is a perfectly acceptable and commonly used phrase within the Deaf/BSL community.

I am also a ToD ( waves at @ToDUK!)

BSL is a "voice off " language so you can't speak it. Some people use a variant of this called Signed supported English which is the BSL vocabulary used simultaneously with spoken English word order. For a person whose first language is BSL, I would say eitherBSL is his first language, preferred method of communication is BSL or she communicates using BSL.

And we need more ToD too - you guys are such an important part of keeping BSL alive as a fundamental part of communication and inclusion within the new generations. Hats off to you all!

Hello @KnottyKnitting!
Thank you @PurpleLostPrincess sadly we seem to be a dying breed.