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Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority

Content description VCASFU215

Auslan: Second Language Learner F–10 Sequence / Levels 9 and 10 / Understanding / Language awareness
Content description
Investigate and compare the nature and status of Auslan and other signed languages, considering issues such as language and education policies, language rights, representation and processes of language preservation and language building
Elaborations
  1. identifying historical events, government policies and educational initiatives that have impacted on the status of Auslan and the identity of the Deaf community, such as ALLP, DDA, the mainstreaming of deaf students
  2. researching the nature of International Sign, including its relationship to national signed languages and its use by deaf people
  3. exploring how deaf people around the world build shared group identity, for example through gathering formally as national and international communities through activities such as Deaf film festivals, performing arts or sporting events such as Deaf Way, Australian Deaf Games, Deaflympics, and how these contribute to language building, language preservation and greater awareness of signed languages
  4. analysing subjective measures of language vitality, such as societal attitudes towards Auslan or the perceived strength of the language identity group, and identifying challenges facing Auslan in terms of societal attitudes, provision of resources, access, education systems and social networks
  5. analysing the status and use of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander signed languages and comparing these to Auslan
  6. appreciating the impact of the use of Auslan in settings such as education, health care and different workplace settings in terms of the evolution of the language and specialised terminology
  7. analysing representations of deaf people and sign language in the Australian media and wider community, making comparisons with representations of other languages and cultures
  8. exploring the role of the Deaf ecosystem in language and cultural maintenance
  9. investigating how Auslan and Deaf culture are promoted in the wider community, for example, through the influence of organisations such as Deaf Australia, of high-profile individuals such as activists or actors and of events such as NWDP Deaf Festival, Australian Deaf Games or Deaf art exhibitions
  10. considering how processes of language building and evolution may expand existing Auslan linguistic and cultural resources in the Australian community
  11. investigating programs and initiatives that maintain and strengthen Auslan use, such as school language programs; bilingual education and research programs; recording, archiving and documentation of the language; and the establishment of websites and databases
  12. appreciating the importance of documenting and promoting Auslan in raising community awareness of the richness and value of signed languages
  13. recognising that Auslan requires maintenance, development and documentation, considering historical and contemporary circumstances which have either contributed to or impeded these processes, for example the use of technology such as ELAN for capturing and documenting the language
  14. considering domains where Auslan may grow in the future, and contributing to localised Auslan signbanks on specific topics, for example, creating a bank/dictionary of signs used by deaf students and interpreters in Year 9 Science
  15. researching the status and recognition of signed languages in other countries, for example, New Zealand, the USA, the UK, the Scandinavian nations, considering issues such as language rights, documentation and development efforts
  16. identifying the changing status of sites of significance in different international Deaf communities, for example, the loss of Deaf clubs or closure of deaf schools in some countries, comparing this to the Australian context, and reflecting on the implications of these changes over time for the Deaf community and for the status of Auslan
  17. recognising different philosophical and social views about deafness, considering the impact of varying attitudes on a deaf person’s understanding of their rights and how they are represented and perceived in wider society
  18. explaining the influence of other signed languages such as BSL, ISL and ASL on Auslan over different periods of time and in different domains of language use, and discussing reasons for such influence
  19. looking at style shifts in domains where English is in closer contact with Auslan, such as the use of more English-like structures in educational settings
  20. discussing the concept of ‘language health’ and how it applies to Auslan, for example by designing a chart of relevant factors such as status (social, economic, historical), demography (number and distribution of users) and institutional support (media, government, education, religion, industry, culture)
Code
VCASFU215
ScOT catalogue terms
Curriculum resources and support
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