Cued Speech: Guide

Bilingualism – Signed and Spoken Languages

Within a sign language using Deaf family, visual access may still be possible to both the sign language of the home and the spoken language of the country.  Often hearing family members such as grandparents, will cue for their deaf grandchildren but if the deaf parents themselves were raised with CS then they may also decide to use it expressively with their own children.

British Sign Language is a 100% visible language.  Cued Speech makes the language of English 100% visible. 

 ‘Complete Bilingualism’ for deaf children means:

• fluency in English in all its richness when access is given visually through Cued Speech by competent users of English.
• fluency in BSL in all its richness when access is given visually by competent users.

This document sets out how CS can be used alongside a signed language.  It explores how concepts and vocabulary can be conveyed visually, both by using a signed language, and using Cued Speech to make a spoken language fully visible.

Document written by a parent of a profoundly deaf boy who was able to understand the spoken language of the home through cueing and use BSL as his expressive language.  Additional notes are included from their advisory teacher.