What is Sign Supported English?

From the Signed Language website: As the name suggests, sign supported English relates to the English language. British Sign Language does not. In a sign language - British or otherwise, the structure of the language is unique to that language. It bears no resemblance to the main spoken language in the country in which it is used.

Sign supported English however, takes the signs from British sign language and uses them in the order that the words would be spoken in English. This means that a working knowledge of the signs for different words is needed in order to understand and use sign supported English, but the more complex grammar is not. This method of signing is also sometimes referred to as conceptually accurate signed language.

Who Can Use Sign Supported English?

Anyone who knows plenty of signs can use sign supported English so as long as you have a good vocabulary, you will be able to manage it. The more signs you know the better, but people who only know a limited number of signs can often get by signing the main words in a sentence and mouthing the others clearly. This of course, relies of the person to whom you are speaking being able to lipread.