Auslan: Second Language Learner 7–10 Sequence / Levels 7 and 8 / Communicating / Identity
Content description
Demonstrate understanding of the nature of identity in relation to themselves, the Deaf community and the wider hearing community
Elaborations
using visual representations such as concept maps, posters or captioned slide presentations to identify groups that they each identify with, for example, friends, family, sporting, interest and community groups, discussing how these group associations contribute to their sense of identity
discussing how their upbringing and personal experience impact on assumptions or attitudes that they bring to interactions with people who have different backgrounds or experiences, considering concepts such as communication, personality, family and community
noticing and comparing their own and each other’s ways of communicating and interacting, identifying elements that reflect cultural differences or influences of other languages
viewing a series of Auslan identity stories, such as those found in the Griffith University Introduction to Deaf Studies Unit 1 set, comparing their experiences to those described by deaf children and adults in the footage
investigating the identity of deafblind people and their connection to the Deaf community by inviting deafblind guests into the classroom to share their personal journeys
exploring ideas about identity through journal writing, documenting challenges and rewards related to second language learning and identity change
analysing ways in which Deaf people design and adapt spaces in cultural ways (‘Deaf space’), for example, by eliminating visual obstacles to signed communication, using circles or semicircles for meeting and learning spaces, using open-plan areas, lighting and window placement to maximise visual access to information, for example, Gallaudet University’s deaf space design principles
surveying deaf people about their experiences and perspectives on the importance and significance of Deaf places that contribute to a shared sense of identity, for example, the Deaf Club, Deaf schools or sites of historic significance such as original Deaf Society/Mission buildings or other former meeting places
identifying and researching Deaf community identities associated with significant historical places, such as William Thomson establishing the first deaf school in WA
