Two things that look alike from a distance
Both use hand movements, and both appear in school and community settings, so it is easy to assume Makaton is a simplified version of British Sign Language (BSL). The organisations behind each say that is wrong. This article draws on a joint statement by The Makaton Charity and the British Deaf Association (BDA) and on other pages on the Makaton Charity’s website, and on the Scottish Government’s 2024-25 survey of language teaching in schools. The Makaton material is the charity’s own description of its programme, not independent research.
What the joint statement says
The joint statement says Makaton and BSL are entirely distinct and used by very different communities. It describes Makaton as a communication programme, developed over 50 years ago, that combines speech, signing and symbols, specifically aiding people with learning or communication difficulties. It says Makaton is not a complete, natural language like BSL but a supplementary communication system, that it has adapted a number of BSL signs but uses them alongside spoken English and symbols in English word order, and that it is a key communication method for over 100,000 people, primarily hearing people with communication difficulties.
By contrast, the statement says BSL is a complete, natural language with its own extensive vocabulary and syntax, that it has existed for centuries, and that it is primarily used by the Deaf community in the UK, alongside Irish Sign Language in Northern Ireland. It is independent of spoken English and uses hand and body movements, facial expressions and eye gaze to convey meaning. The statement adds that sign language is not international, with hundreds of different sign languages around the world. Its most practical line for learners is that Makaton is not appropriate for interaction with Deaf people because it is not a complete or natural sign language.
How Makaton describes itself
On its own pages, the charity describes Makaton as a programme that uses symbols, signs and speech to enable people to communicate and supports the development of skills such as attention and listening, comprehension, memory and expression. Signs are used with speech in spoken word order, and it says symbols can help people with limited speech or who cannot or prefer not to sign. It also says research has shown signs and gestures are easier to learn than spoken words, a claim the charity makes without a citation on the page cited, so it should be treated as the charity’s statement.
Its guidance on getting started says to use only a few signs and symbols at the beginning, chosen by the people who know the child or adult best, adding more as they learn, and to always speak as you sign. It also promotes training options and an app, and those have not been evaluated here.
What BSL learning involves
Learning BSL means learning a language with its own grammar, which the statement notes uses hand and body movements, facial expression and eye gaze. It is the language of the Deaf community, so a learner’s aim is usually to communicate with Deaf people. Our guide to learning BSL covers qualifications and the BSL Act 2022. The joint statement also notes the legal recognition of BSL through the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015 and the UK-wide BSL Act in 2022.
Where both appear in schools
The Scottish Government survey shows how both feature in education. Under the 1+2 policy, British Sign Language can be taught as a third language, and the 2024-25 survey found BSL and Scots continued to gain popularity as primary school L3s, ranking behind Spanish but ahead of French for the first time. Special schools reported providing language and communication systems including Makaton, PECS, Signalong and BSL, and about 84 per cent of the special schools that responded were providing language learning opportunities. The survey treats BSL as a language and Makaton as a communication system, which mirrors the charity’s and BDA’s positions. This is Scottish data and should not be read as UK-wide.
Choosing what to learn
If you want to communicate with Deaf people, learn BSL, since the joint statement says Makaton is not appropriate for that. If you support a child or adult with learning or communication difficulties, Makaton is designed for that purpose and the people around the individual usually choose which signs to start with. If you are unsure, ask a speech and language therapist, teacher or the relevant service; the sources read here do not cover clinical assessment. And when a course advert uses the word “sign language”, check which system it teaches.
The bottom line
Makaton and BSL are distinct, according to both the Makaton Charity and the British Deaf Association: BSL is a complete natural language used by the Deaf community, while Makaton is a supplementary system combining speech, signs and symbols for people with communication difficulties. Makaton should not be used as a substitute for BSL with Deaf people. Choose the one that fits the people you want to communicate with, and check any course description carefully.
Sources
- The Makaton Charity and British Deaf Association, “Makaton and British Sign Language (BSL): joint statement”
- The Makaton Charity, “What is Makaton?”
- The Makaton Charity, “How to start using Makaton”
- The Makaton Charity, “How Makaton works”
- Scottish Government, “1+2 languages policy: Findings from the 2024-25 survey of local authorities”
- Scottish Government, “1+2 languages policy: 2024-25 survey, Language learning in special schools”