Identify and express a varied range of feelings

Identifying feelings: To fully engage in a conversation, begin to recognise the range of emotions, from basic (happy, sad, angry, surprised) to more nuanced feelings (embarrassed, overwhelmed, optimistic).
Non-verbal cues: Pay attention to a person’s facial expressions, body language, and eye gaze. These non-verbal cues often reflect the person’s feelings.
Contextual cues: The context of the conversation or situation can give a clue as to what emotions a person may be experiencing. For example, a person may express sadness at a funeral, or anxiety in a job interview.

Sign choices: Use the appropriate sign to express an emotion. Some emotions have specific signs in BSL, while others may require the combination of different signs.
Non-manual markers: Use of facial expressions, body movements, and eye gaze to match the emotion being expressed. They will add nuance and clarification to the meaning of signs.
Intensity of feelings: The degree of emotion being felt can also be expressed using the size, speed and energy of your signs. For example, if the feeling is intense, the signs should be larger and faster.

Empathy: Expressing feelings effectively helps in developing empathy towards others. It allows for a deeper understanding of their experiences.
Misunderstanding: Accurate and clear expression of feelings reduces the chance for misunderstanding or misinterpretation.
Conflict Resolution: Open expression of feelings can lead to effective problem-solving or conflict resolution by allowing all parties to voice their concerns and feelings.

Role-playing: Participate in activities that allow for expression of a range of emotions, like acting out different scenarios.
Observation: Watch BSL users communicate in different emotional states and emulate their techniques and expressions.
Reflection: Carry out the regular self-assessment or have a peer review your sign language usage and emotional expression.