Auslan: Second Language Learner 7–10 Sequence / Levels 7 and 8 / Understanding / Systems of language
Content description
Recognise and use elements of clause structure, such as noun groups/phrases or verb groups/phrases and using conjunctions to join clauses
Elaborations
categorising noun signs into those for people, animals, places or things
learning that proper nouns can have a sign name or be fingerspelled
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
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)
recognising that a noun group is a group of signs that relate to a person, place or thing that can include elements such as adjectives or numbers
recognising that expanding a noun into a noun group enriches meaning
identifying verb signs (SIT, EAT, FEEL, WONDER, HAVE) and recognising that they are central to a clause
noticing there is no verb ‘to be’ in Auslan, which is a significant difference to English
exploring different semantic types of verbs in a text, for example by showing how:
doing (WALK, WRITE) and saying (TELL, CALL-OUT, ANNOUNCE) verbs in narrative texts give information about a characters’ actions
sensing (SEE, THINK) or possessing (THAT’S-TYPICAL-OF-THEM, OWN) verbs indicate what characters think, feel or own
relating verbs identify or describe a noun (for example, HAVE in PRO3 HAVE LONG-HAIR)
noticing that some signs modify the meaning of verbs, such as READ CAREFUL and that these are called adverbs
contributing examples of signs that tell:
when a verb happens (IN-2-WEEKS PRO1 HOLIDAY or WANT LUNCH NOW)
where a verb happens (PRO3 RUN FAR or COME HERE)
how a verb happens (FAST or SLOW or PRO2 QUICK FINISH)
noticing that sometimes Auslan signers have information about how a verb happens through NMFs not separate signs (for example, WRITE-carelessly)
recognising that a verb group is a group of words built up around a verb that may include adverbs which modify the meaning of verbs and that adverbs and DSs can enrich a verb group
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.
noticing that while word order in sentences is often important for meaning, there is flexibility in word order in Auslan and that because parts of a sentence can be signed simultaneously in Auslan, it is hard to establish word order
distinguishing between yes/no questions, wh- questions and statements and their corresponding NMFs
