Level 3: Certificate in British Sign Language
This course follows the qualification specification set out by Signature
Qualification Aim
The Level 3 Certificate in British Sign Language (BSL) meets the learning needs of those who already have competence in BSL at Level 2 and are interested in developing their skills and knowledge. Successful learners must be able to demonstrate competence at Level 3 of the UK Occupational Language Standards. This means that the learner will be able to understand and use varied BSL in a range of work and social situations.
The learner will develop an advanced knowledge of the structure and function of British Sign Language and an understanding of the Deaf Community and Deaf Culture.
Qualification Objectives
Successful completion of this qualification can be used as evidence of the language skills needed in order to be able to operate independently and at an advanced level in the target language. It is useful for those who work on a regular basis with Deaf people (for example social workers, teachers of the Deaf, communicators, voluntary workers, workers within Deaf organisations, schools, etc), those who aspire to work in these contexts, and those who wish to expand their knowledge and skills in British Sign Language.
Length of Course
The course will consist of around 250 hours of learning. This will include access to our own online learning resources at PremierBSL.
Unit Code |
Guided Learning |
Additional |
Total |
Credit Value |
LO1 / LO2 / LO3 |
130 |
120 | 250 |
25 |
TOTAL |
130 |
120 | 250 |
25 |
Topics & Content
The following areas will be covered:
- Employment, including job roles, details of day to day activities, details of company and personnel structure, training and learning;
- Educational activities;
- Home and Leisure including daily routines, holiday and hobbies, types of housing and utilities used;
- Food and Drink including allergies, eating out, likes and dislikes;
- Routine news items such as general elections and political issues such as budget, tax or benefits changes, natural disasters, weather
Target Group
The Level 3 Certificate in BSL is suitable for those who:
- Wish to acquire varied British Sign Language skills at normal speed and in normally used social and work registers for the purpose of working or interacting with Deaf people on a daily or regular basis;
- Need to acquire varied BSL skills as part of a programme of study or professional development;
- Are studying for personal development with a view to future employment;
- Wish to progress from the Level 2 Certificate
The qualification is also suitable for Deaf people wishing to acquire a qualification in their own language to meet with the requirements of the Tariff of Qualifications (ITT) as an approved qualification at Level 3 for evidencing personal literacy skills in order to gain QTLS.
Assessments
All of the candidate’s evidence will be collected into a coursework file.
Assessment | Details | Assessment Method |
Duration |
Formal Presentation | Presentation by the candidate to their teacher. It will focus on a topic title provided by Signature.
The pass mark for the presentation is 60%. |
External | 8-10 mins |
Information Conversation | An informal conversation between the candidate and the teacher. The conversation will focus on a topic title provided by Signature and it must be a different topic area to that chosen for the presentation.
The pass mark for the conversation is 60%. |
External | 10-12 mins |
Receptive Skills | A receptive skills task (in three parts) where the candidate will be assessed on their understanding of a story based on one or more of the topics in the Qualification Specification.
The pass mark for the receptive skills assessment is 60%. |
External | Approx. 1 hour |
For more details about the content, assessment procedures or criteria, please see the full specification document.
Additional Costs
Learners will be expected to purchase resources for their coursework file.