BSL Corpus Project

Research assistant: video data capture, editing and annotation

Ramas is Deaf from a Deaf family, and was Research Assistant on the BSL Corpus Project from November 2008 until June 2011. He received his BA in Primary Education in 2004 from Vilnius Pedagogical University in Lithuania. During his studies, he was primarily interested in developmental issues related to d/Deaf children’s learning and also to their Deaf identity. He was the first Deaf Lithuanian Sign Language tutor for trainee interpreters in Vilnius College. In 2010, he obtained a PGDipl in Interpreting with the Deaf Community from Durham University. Currently, he is working towards his MSc in Deafhood Studies at Bristol University.

Steady progress has been made since the summer.  We have carried out filming sessions in Birmingham, London and Manchester.  So far 60 people have been filmed.  The good news is that Birmingham area has now been completed, and we continue to film in London and Manchester.  We would like to thank our fieldworkers in these areas for their hard work.  This month, we will start filming in Glasgow and Bristol.  Watch this space!

Greater Glasgow fieldworker

Avril is a native BSL user from a Deaf family in Glasgow. She has a vast amount of knowledge about the Deaf community and its culture, as well as several years of experience working with Deaf organisations. Avril is the Director of BSL for the British Deaf Association, with a remit to develop and deliver BSL curricula training to BSL teachers and assessors throughout the UK for the BSL Academy. In 2003, Avril helped to deliver a Certificate in the Linguistics of BSL course in Wales, working as a trainee under Frances Elton from DCAL. She also works on a regular basis as a BSL/English interpreter for Scottish Television news, and has undertaken a secondment at the University of Central Lancashire, Preston on the BSL:QED project.

Bristol fieldworker

Carolyn is a native BSL user, and comes from sixth generations of Deaf families. She grew up in the British Deaf community and has extensive knowledge about Deaf culture and sign language. Carolyn is no stranger to TV screens having worked as a presenter for BBC’s ‘See Hear’, ITV West, and in BSLBT’s ‘Under The Lamp’. She also had a small role in the BBC drama ‘Switch’ as Angela. Nowadays, Carolyn works with Remark in Birmingham as the Regional Co-ordinator for their interpreting and training division.