Identify and express complex feelings, attitudes and emotions

Prioritise understanding the complexity of emotions, which can vary greatly in depth and intensity.
Recognise the expressive potential of British Sign Language (BSL) for conveying sophisticated emotion.
Look for signs used to express multiple emotions simultaneously, which is characteristic of complex emotional states.
Apply knowledge of non-manual features such as facial expressions, head and body movements, and eye gaze, that can provide layers to the emotion being communicated.
Understand that emotions can be masked, thus look for incongruities between words and nonverbal signs.

Practice the ability to articulate your own complex emotions clearly and effectively in BSL.
Focus on presenting a consistent mixture of verbal signs and non-manual features.
Use the right pace, rhythm, and phrasing in BSL to match the emotion you are trying to convey.
Be aware that being expressive requires a degree of vulnerability, treat this process with respect and care.

Analyse the complexity and subtlety involved in expressing and interpreting complex feelings.
Recognise the way your personal experiences or emotional states may influence the way you interpret others’ signals.
Review and reflect on the experience of identifying and expressing complex emotions in a deaf culture context.
Understand the significance of respecting cultural nuances in emotional expression in BSL.

Be sensitive towards the emotional states of others, demonstrating empathy and understanding.
Offer an empathetic response to emotionally charged signs, bearing in mind that BSL users may express emotions differently.
Understand that others may have a differing emotional reaction to the same situation, that is still equally valid.
Avoid rushing to judgement or making assumptions based on your own emotional perspective.