Within BSL there are a number of regional variations of number systems, including dates and times.  Most deaf people are able to recognise which is being used once they get acquainted.  For Level 1 students it is recommended that they adopt one that is widely used within their locality, and that they feel comfortable with.  When in doubt they should seek advice from their tutor!

There are a few areas that often cause problems for sign language students.  One of these is the different movements and orientations of signs when giving:

• Numbers between 11 and 19  Number of objects, people etc  Times e.g. 2 o’clock, 5 past 4, half past 6 etc  Calendar information e.g. 3 weeks ago, in 2 days etc.  In addition, how to sign yesterday, last year and others with their own sign.  Placings, as in a race e.g. 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc
• Indexing e.g. first I did this,

Make sure that you are familiar with the different movements for each, again as used in your local area.   

Practical Tips

The format for signing numbers is often the same as when writing them down.   We would sign each digit starting from left to right, giving each digit its own space.  This normally applies to numbers from 20 and above.  For numbers up to 20 most systems have accepted signs for each number.