Auslan: First Language Learner F–10 Sequence / Levels 3 and 4 / Communicating / Reflecting
Content description
Describe some ways in which Auslan and associated communicative behaviours are similar to or different from wider community spoken languages and forms of cultural expression
Elaborations
reflecting on their observations of similarities and differences between ways of communicating in Auslan and in Australian English in different social situations, for example, when greeting/leave-taking, introducing people or using body language, facial expression and eye contact
considering the impact of the increased use of Auslan among their hearing peers when members of their school community are learning Auslan, and reflecting on their experience of interacting with these learners
comparing their own and each other’s reflections on the experience of learning and communicating in English as a second language
reflecting on similarities and differences in communication that relate to culture, such as the extent of incidental learning available to hearing children compared to deaf children through interaction with their external environment, for example by overhearing conversations or news on the radio
reflecting on the need for sustained eye contact when using Auslan in order to understand a message and before teacher instructions can proceed, and considering how this differs for hearing students in a spoken language environment
describing how it feels to use Auslan to communicate outside their inner circle or school, or to watch Auslan being used by others, for example by responding to questions such as What are the main differences you notice when observing a conversation between deaf people and one between hearing people?
