Initiate and maintain dialogue delivered at normal speed
Understanding Dialogue Initiation
- Dialogue initiation in British Sign Language (BSL) involves using facial expressions, non-manual features, and sign sequences to start a conversation.
- It's essential to establish eye contact and attention with the person you're communicating with.
- It's necessary to utilise appropriate greetings according to the context and formality of the conversation.
- Turn-taking mechanisms can be employed to ensure a smooth flow of dialogue.
Managing Dialogue at Normal Speed
- BSL at normal speed is fluent and consistent. It requires careful attention and quick comprehension to manage the speed effectively.
- Practice comprehending BSL at regular speed often. Accuracy in understanding the signs improves with experience.
- Use of contextual clues and the overall message of the conversation can assist in understanding signs at normal speed.
- Do not hesitate to ask the signer to repeat or rephrase if you do not understand initially. This is part of engaging in fluent BSL conversation.
Maintaining Dialogue
- Dialogue maintenance involves active participation, thoughtful responses, and showing understanding through affirmation signs.
- Use of non-manual features like head nods and facial expressions can help show attentiveness and understanding.
- Keep the dialogue interesting by bringing in relevant topics, anecdotes or questions.
- Use appropriate closing phrases to indicate the end of the conversation. This helps in maintaining a conversation structure and provides closure.
Remember, practice makes perfect. Keep engaging in BSL conversations at normal speed to improve fluency and comprehension.