Auslan: First Language Learner F–10 Sequence / Levels 9 and 10 / Understanding / Role of language and culture
Content description
Understand that Auslan and Deaf culture are interrelated, that they shape and are shaped by each other and that their relationship changes over time and across contexts
Elaborations
exploring the relationship between language and culture, for example by analysing language used in pathological and sociocultural models of deafness and the impact that each philosophy and the language used to express it may have in regard to services for deaf people
appreciating the complexity of the relationship between language and culture, for example by discussing distinctions between Deaf cultures and other cultural minorities, such as the fact that most deaf people are born to hearing parents and typically access and experience Deaf culture through communicating with peers and other Auslan users in and out of school, in addition to their cultural experience in their families of origin
recognising the cultural significance of symbols and language features used in Auslan, for example the use of light and darkness in stories, poetry and performance, as in gaslight stories
considering cultural explanations for conversational strategies used by Auslan signers to avoid conflict and to maintain privacy, such as changing signing space and style, using indirect language such as signing lower or under the table, fingerspelling instead of signing overtly, or modifying a sign choice such as menstruation to suit the context
understanding that Auslan plays an important role in the expression and maintenance of Deaf culture, that each deaf person has a right to learn and use Auslan as part of their birthright and as a key element of their membership of the Deaf community, and that they become custodians and owners of the language
appreciating the cultural value and importance of festivals and events in the Deaf community, such as NWDP, as celebrations of language, history, culture and identity
analysing ways in which deaf people interpret and exploit the possibilities and cultural meanings of sound, for example, in games and stories which incorporate signs for sound and reactions to sound, for example, a door slamming
recognising that Auslan signs change over time due to shifting cultural values and changing experiences, for example, the sign for APPRENTICE modified to refer to TAFE, the shifting values around the sign DEAF^DEAF (culturally Deaf reference for deaf-mute), and unsuccessful attempts to reframe this with an audiological focus
reflecting on the ways culture is interpreted by others, for example by identifying how stereotypes about deaf and hearing people influence perceptions
recognising that cultural beliefs and behaviours are embedded in Auslan, for example, recounts by deaf people of interactions with hearing people might include language that reflects beliefs about English and ‘hearing-ness’, for example, an anecdote about a frustrating interaction might be concluded with hearing, their way
reflecting on the labels ‘deaf’ and ‘hearing’, considering what they mean to different people and their implications in terms of status, access, opportunity and privilege
analysing ways in which deaf people’s jokes and humorous narratives reflect cultural values about deaf/hearing relationships and how deaf people navigate the world, for example the ‘Bob’s House’ commercial
exploring how advocacy strategies can reflect deaf people’s cultural practices and values, for example the ‘TTY-in’ used to advocate for the National Relay Service
