ESOL & Literacy Revision — Institute of British Sign Language Other General Qualification
Complete Institute of British Sign Language Other General Qualification ESOL & Literacy specification revision resources. Tailored syllabus coverage with topic breakdowns, quizzes, and practice questions.
Specification Topics
- Conversational Skills in BSL
- Understand Basic Information in British Sign Language
- INTA 2 Interpret Using Technology
- INTA 5 Prepare for Interpreting Assignments
- Sensory Awareness
- INTA 6 Perform Assignments as an Interpreter
- Take part in and follow basic conversations in British Sign Language
- Develop strategies to acquire simple and basic British Sign Language skills
- INTA 9 Translate Written Language into Sign Language (Sight Translation)
- The Culture of British Sign Language
- INTA 3 Team Interpreting
- INTA 7 Develop Professional Practice as an Interpreter
- INTA 10 Produce Immediate Written Translations of a Signed Passage
- INTA 8 Ethics and Ethical Decision Making
- INTA 4 Linguistics and Culture
- INTA1 Theories and Models of Interpreting
Top Exam Board Tips
- Practice role-play scenarios focused on everyday situations like ordering in a café or asking for directions, as these are commonly assessed.
- Use video recording to self-assess non-manual features and signing clarity; compare with model BSL users to identify areas for improvement.
- When making requests, always include appropriate politeness markers and ensure the request verb is directional and clear to the observer.
- Actively observe the signer's non-manual features (facial expressions, head and shoulder movements) as they are integral to meaning and grammatical structure.
- Practise extracting key facts (who, what, when, where) from short signed clips and note-taking without trying to translate word for word.
- When encountering unfamiliar vocabulary, use context and visual clues before referring to a BSL dictionary or asking for clarification if permitted by the assessment conditions.
- During assessments, replay the signing if allowed, focusing first on overall meaning before identifying specific linguistic elements like tense markers or spatial referencing.
- For assessed tasks, always document a pre-session technical check and risk assessment to demonstrate thorough preparation.
- When interpreting via video, ensure slow and deliberate signing with a neutral background to minimise visual distractions for the client.
- Practice interpreting with background noise and time delays to simulate real-world challenges, enhancing your ability to manage lag effectively.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Relying on spoken English word order rather than BSL grammar, particularly the Topic-Comment structure, leading to sentences that are confusing for BSL users.
- Incorrect use of non-manual features, such as not raising eyebrows for yes/no questions or failing to use appropriate facial expressions to convey meaning.
- Struggling with directional verbs (e.g., GIVE, ASK) when making requests, often using incorrect hand orientation or movement.
- Confusing BSL grammar with English word order, e.g., signing or interpreting in Subject-Verb-Object rather than using BSL's topic-comment structure.
- Overlooking non-manual features (e.g., eyebrow movements, mouth patterns) that convey essential grammatical and emotional meaning.
- Misinterpreting time markers or tense indicators, such as assuming present tense when the signer uses spatial placement to indicate past or future.
- Relying solely on lip-patterns or English translations without considering the visual-gestural nature of BSL, leading to partial or incorrect extraction of information.
- Failing to test equipment and connectivity prior to assignments, resulting in communication breakdowns.
Key Terminology & Definitions
- Be able to take part and follow simple, predictable conversations in British Sign Language, Be able to understand and make requests in British Sign Language
- Be able to extract information from basic statements or descriptions in British Sign Language., Be able to extract specific vocabulary, data, tenses, grammatical structures and infinitives from basic information provided in British Sign Language., Be able to confirm and clarify meaning using appropriate reference sources.
- The aim of this unit is to enable learners to demonstrate competence in most aspects of day-to-day work involving interpreting using technology (e.g. telephones, audio-visual equipment, online conferencing technology etc)
- The aim of this unit is for the Learner to demonstrate their ability to prepare for interpreting assignments. The NOS concerned with this area provides crucial underpinning to understanding and demonstration of skills and should be integral to Learner achievement of this unit.
- Be able to describe the different types of d/Deaf people and those who acquire hearing loss, Be able to describe the four basic categories of deafblindness and their causes, Be able to identify common causes of deafness, Be able to identify key facts relating to the numbers of d/Deaf and deafblind people in Britain, Be able to understand the different ways that deafblind people may communicate and use equipment that assist in their daily lives, Be able to identify unnecessary barriers for Deaf and deafblind people which have a hearing and (for deafblind people) a visual focus
- The Learner will demonstrate their ability to carry out interpreting assignments to a professional safe standard and shall include both one-way assignments as outlined in the assessment criteria. The NOS concerned with this area provides crucial underpinning to understanding and demonstrating professional practice and should be integral to Learner achievement of this unit.
- Be able to take part in and/or hold a basic conversation in British Sign Language, Be able to confirm and clarify meaning using appropriate reference sources
- Understand how to identify and take responsibility for areas of self-development in British Sign Language, Be able to demonstrate how they have developed personal skills in British Sign Language
- The aim of this unit is for Learner to produce at sight translations of written documents into signed language taking into consideration the needs of all participants. The requirements also include meeting the National Occupational Standards.
- Be able to understand the culture that goes with British Sign Language, Be able to describe the behavioural norm surrounding the culture of British Sign Language, Understand the meaning of Deaf Identity
- The aim of this unit is for the Learner to demonstrate their ability to work as part of a team that includes interpreters and other participants to the interpreting assignments. This includes supporting other interpreters and evaluating the effectiveness of team work.
- The aim of this unit is for the Learner to review and evaluate their performance as an interpreter, identify strengths and areas for improvement and formulate a plan for their professional development.
- In this unit, Learners are required to translate signed passages into formal written correspondence or reports.
- The aim of this unit is to enable learners to understand the principles and theories relating to ethics and ethical decision-making that support sign language interpreting.
- The aim of this unit is for the Learner to demonstrate understanding of linguistics practice and theory as used in interpreting, and to demonstrate how cultural influences affect interpreting practice.