Auslan: Second Language Learner F–10 Sequence / Foundation to Level 2 / Understanding / Systems of language
Content description
Recognise that groups of words are combined to make a clause and that Auslan has word classes such as nouns, adjectives or verbs, and distinguish between statements and questions
Elaborations
categorising noun signs into those for people, animals, places or things
learning that proper nouns can have a sign name or be fingerspelled
knowing that adjectives describe nouns in different ways, such as how they look (BIG or RED), feel (SOFT or HOT), smell (SMELLY) or sound (LOUD)
identifying verb signs (SIT, EAT, FEEL, WONDER, HAVE) and recognising that they are central to a clause
noticing there is no equivalent of the verb ‘to be’ in Auslan, which is a significant difference to English
understanding that a clause is one or more signs expressing a single idea and that a clause has at least one verb, but often one or more nouns as well, for example:
CALL-him
I called him.
MAN THERE GO-TO POSS3 HOUSE
That man went to his house.
BIG MONSTER SCREAM
A big monster screamed.
recognising different nouns in clauses, including those that are shown with a pointing sign, such as GIRL READ versus PRO3 READ, or VISIT FRIEND versus VISIT PRO3
noticing that Auslan has more flexibility in word order than in English
distinguishing between clauses that are statements and those that are questions
