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• VCASFU194

  Understand and control additional elements of Auslan grammar, such as the use of non-manual features for negation or conditional forms, and understand how signers use constructed action and depicting signs in composite utterances

  Elaborations

  • recognising the nature and function of word classes and understanding that the context of the sign is important and Auslan signs will not always have the same word class as an English word, for example, adjectives can act like verbs in Auslan
  • recognising that signers may include linguistic and gestural elements in a clause, that is, signers can tell, show or do both simultaneously
  • noticing, with support, when signers are using composite utterances, that is, those that have elements of CA, DSs, points and fully-lexical signs in the same utterance
  • understanding the different functions of a range of NMFs, such as those used for questions, topicalisation, negation or conditional forms
  • distinguishing between yes/no questions and wh- questions and statements and their corresponding NMFs
  • recognising that clauses can be joined by conjunctions to make longer sentences and these conjunctions can be shown with separate signs, such as PLUS, or THEN or NMFs, for example by pausing between clauses
  • recognising that clauses can be linked equally or unequally where one clause depends on another

  VCASFU194 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU108

  Explore connections between language, identity and cultural practices, values and beliefs and the expression of these connections in Auslan

  Elaborations

  • recognising that people from different places and backgrounds may use different languages and have ways of living and communicating that differ from their own
  • appreciating that culture and cultural difference means that people may value different things or live differently, noticing observable examples of ‘difference’, such as ways of greeting (bowing versus shaking hands) or conveying information (through words versus signs)
  • recognising how they as deaf people live in ways that may be different from how hearing people live and that these ways are primarily visual, for example by responding to prompts such as: Compare how deaf and hearing people get the attention of someone on the other side of the room; and How do deaf and hearing people make sure they wake up at a particular time in the morning?
  • recognising the importance of facial expression, eye gaze and non-manual features in conveying information in a visual-gestural language and culture
  • understanding that culture is more than the visible aspects of people’s lives, that it also includes invisible elements such as beliefs and values, how people think about themselves and others, how they relate to their social and physical environments; and considering how this understanding applies to themselves as users of Auslan
  • recognising that in each culture there are general rules for what to say and do, when, where and with whom, and that these rules differ from culture to culture, for example, the Deaf culture places greater importance on eye contact than cultures that communicate through spoken languages
  • identifying the importance of signing space and proxemics in Auslan, particularly in relation to a person passing between two signers, or the positioning of communication partners
  • recognising that shared experiences shape cultural values in Auslan and in other cultures, for example, the experience of deaf children being excluded from family and social discourse during dinner table conversations or social events gives rise to the value placed in the Deaf community on sharing information with each other
  • considering how some spaces make deaf people feel comfortable, for example, open-plan spaces with long sight lines allowing easy visual access

  VCASFU108 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Role of language and culture

• VCASFU195

  Expand understanding of grammatical features and cohesive devices used in a range of personal, informative and imaginative texts designed to suit different audiences, contexts and purposes

  Elaborations

  • noticing that differing purposes in text creation result in differing types and amounts of signing, for example, the amount of fingerspelling used in a public lecture compared to in a private conversation
  • identifying linguistic structures and features typically associated with texts such as casual conversations, for example the use of back-channels or hesitations
  • applying knowledge of the choices a signer can make in texts, for example by comparing two signers’ texts about the same topic and evaluating the different choices they have made in terms of enacting through DSs or CA
  • analysing the effect of a signer’s use of pausing in a description or information report
  • noticing how signers construct cohesive and coherent texts through the use of text connectives such as BUT and G:WELL to create links between clauses

  VCASFU195 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU228

  Identify and describe all elements of sign production, including handshape and its orientation, movement, location and non-manual features, and look at the link between signs and their referents in terms of iconicity

  Elaborations

  • realising that meaning is communicated through the use of signs, pictures, written or spoken words or miming
  • identifying a sign's handshape and its orientation, for example, COCKATOO (hs:5, palm left) and SOCCER (hs:fist)
  • identifying and demonstrating signs with a change in handshape, for example FIND or BEST
  • identifying and demonstrating signs with a change in orientation, for example CAN-NOT or HOW
  • noticing the path movement of a particular sign and identifying signs associated with the major types of path movements, for example, THROUGH (forwards) or FULL (down to up)
  • noticing the five major locations of signs on the body or in space, and identifying signs associated with each, such as SEE (head/face), SAY (mouth/chin), WHY (chest), TALK (hand) and ONE (signing space)
  • thinking of body-anchored signs, such as HEAD or WHY, and signs that are not body anchored, such as HAVE or STOP, and recognising that non-body anchored signs can be located in space around the signer
  • understanding that NMFs can also be an element of a sign and can show emotional states such as a happy expression, or grammatical information, for example, a frown to mark a negative, and identifying examples of NMFs in a text
  • noticing that in a stretch of connected signing a sign will often be produced differently to the way it is shown in a dictionary
  • distinguishing between single, double and two-handed signs, and identifying which hand is dominant and which is non-dominant in two-handed signs
  • noticing that in signed languages meaning can be expressed through whole signs or through fingerspelling
  • comparing iconic signs that provide visual images of referents, such as DRINK, ELEPHANT with English words that map to the sound images of the referents, such as animal noises, or words for sounds such as bang or woof woof
  • identifying signs with different levels of iconicity, for example, those that are fully transparent, translucent or arbitrary
  • experimenting with different methods of capturing signed languages, such as: a class-invented script, drawing pictures, videoing, English glosses or ASL-phabet

  VCASFU228 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU067

  Distinguish between character and observer space, categorise different verb types and identify constructed action in a text

  Elaborations

  • noticing that meaning is created in Auslan from fully-lexical signs, partly-lexical signs and non-lexical CA and gesture
  • recognising that signers can set up referents in the signing space as if they are part of that space (character space, for example, using a bC handshape (use of non-dominant hand) to indicate putting a glass on a table) or as if they are outside it (observer, for example, using 5claw in two locations to represent two houses)
  • recognising that in character space, signers can use locations for present referents, non-present referents, or abstract referents that do not exist in space
  • recognising that signers can give information about how a verb happens over time by changing the movement, for example, signing WATCH versus WATCH -_{for-a-long-time}, or with lexical signs such as WATCH AGAIN++
  • recognising that nouns can be pluralised by locating them repeatedly regardless of their original location
  • categorising the type of depicting sign being used by a signer
  • distinguishing between directional and locational indicating verbs
  • observing examples of CA in an Auslan text and discussing how it was marked

  VCASFU067 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU107

  Develop awareness of the sociocultural context, nature and status of Auslan and of the Deaf community in Australia and the impact of this on language change

  Elaborations

  • identifying where and when different people learnt to sign and whether they are from deaf or hearing families
  • exploring and providing possible explanations for variation in Auslan fluency among their classmates and members of the Deaf community
  • understanding the nature of the transmission of Auslan, for example, how in most cases Auslan is not passed on from parent to child, but from child to child (horizontal language transmission) or to children by deaf adults outside the family
  • investigating the use of digital technology/communication by Auslan users, for example, social media, SMS/texting and NRS and VRS, discussing how these modes of communication impact on accessibility and communication for members of the Deaf community
  • considering ways that Auslan is evolving due to different influences, including the capacity for new technologies to store, record and share sign languages
  • discussing the degree to which their classroom/school is an Auslan-accessible and Deaf-friendly environment, and how this might be further enhanced
  • investigating how Auslan and Deaf culture are promoted in the wider community, for example through the influence of organisations such as Deaf Australia, high-profile individuals such as activists or actors or events such as NWDP, Deaf festivals, Australian Deaf Games or Deaf art exhibitions

  VCASFU107 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Language awareness

• VCASFU231

  Recognise similarities and differences in language features of different types of texts and in Auslan and English texts of a similar type, and notice how texts build cohesion

  Elaborations

  • recognising that texts are made up of one or more clauses, which have one or more signs in them, which together make meaning
  • comparing a short text in Auslan with an equivalent type of English text (for example, a recount in both languages) and noticing similarities and differences in structure and language features
  • examining different examples of an Auslan text on the same topic, or telling the same story, and identifying different choices signers made in the production of the text, for example the amount of fingerspelling or CA they used
  • analysing linguistic structures and features associated with more dynamic texts, such as back-channels and hesitations used in casual conversations
  • identifying examples of signers pointing to an established location to refer to a non-present referent
  • identifying how signers use space to make clear the actor or undergoer of a verb through a text, for example by pointing back to an established location to refer to a noun referent
  • identifying the many ways signers can refer to the same referent in a text, for example by using DSs, points or list buoys, and how such strategies help maintain interest and support understanding

  VCASFU231 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU069

  Explain the structure and organisation of particular types of texts, such as conversations or information reports, and identify language features used by signers to meet specific purposes and to create cohesion

  Elaborations

  • analysing linguistic structures and features associated with more dynamic texts, such as back-channels and hesitations used in casual conversations
  • applying knowledge of choices a signer can make in texts, for example by comparing two signers’ texts about the same topic and evaluating different language choices each made, such as when to tell and when to enact, or when to use DSs
  • analysing signers’ use of pausing in a description or information report
  • identifying all the ways a signer refers to the same referent throughout a text
  • identifying examples of ellipsis, such as dropping the participants in verbs
  • recognising that nouns that are being introduced are more frequently overt than when they are given already in a text
  • recognising signs that function as interjections or discourse markers

  VCASFU069 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU193

  Develop knowledge of additional elements of the Auslan grammatical system, analysing indicating verbs, depicting signs and constructed action

  Elaborations

  • noticing that meaning is created in Auslan from fully-lexical signs, partly-lexical signs and non-lexical CA and gesture
  • recognising that signers can use locations for present referents, non-present referents, or abstract referents that do not exist in space
  • recognising that nouns can be pluralised by locating them repeatedly regardless of their original location
  • distinguishing between directional and locational indicating verbs

  • recognising that handshape and movement represent different things in each type of DS, for example:

    • entity DSs: the handshape is an object or person, and the movement is the movement or location of that object or person
    • handling DSs: the handshape represents a person’s hands touching or moving another object, and the movement shows how the hands move
    • SASS DSs: the handshape and movement outline the shape or size of something
  • observing instances of CA in a text and discussing how it was marked

  VCASFU193 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU192

  Identify different types of non-manual features and characteristics of signs, including iconicity, and explore the use of software to transcribe and annotate signed texts

  Elaborations

  • identifying, demonstrating and describing the various types of NMFs: movements of the eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks, shoulders and body, and describing their function
  • understanding that signs can be iconic in a number of ways, such as representing a whole object or part of an object
  • identifying signs with different levels of iconicity, for example, those that are fully transparent, translucent or arbitrary
  • recognising that signed languages involve more iconicity because they are visual not auditory, with most referents having visual features
  • identify and classify examples of spatial modifications of nouns and verbs in a video text using video annotation software, for example, ELAN
  • ‘reading’ and transcribing glossed texts, including interpreting the markings that show how a sign is modified in space, NMFs, DSs and examples of CA

  VCASFU192 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU197

  Understand historical and contemporary factors that impact on awareness, support and use of Auslan and its vitality in contemporary Australia, comparing it with that of other signed languages around the world

  Elaborations

  • considering the impact of international historical events such as the Milan Congress (1880) and the linguistic recognition and documentation of signed languages (1960s and 1970s) on the use of signed languages in education and deaf people’s feelings of ownership and pride in their languages
  • analysing the impact of migration and settlement of deaf people from the UK and other countries in Australia, on the development of Auslan
  • investigating the geographical location, origins and history of deaf schools in Australia and the impact of these institutions on the transmission, use and status of Auslan
  • considering the contemporary influences and pressures on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander signed languages and how these may affect their vitality
  • describing the role religion has played in influencing Auslan in terms of usage and spread, for example, by religious orders, early Deaf Societies and Bible translation projects
  • exploring the history and acceptance of signed languages and Deaf community and culture around the world, for example by creating a timeline or a research poster
  • exploring multilingualism in the Deaf community, including the use of Auslan, English and other signed and spoken languages such as Irish-Australian sign language, and how and when users typically switch between languages and dialects
  • investigating the use and impact of generic digital technology and specific forms of communication by Auslan users, for example, video chat, social media, SMS/texting, and NRS and VRS
  • reflecting on the role of Auslan interpreters in raising awareness and understanding of Auslan in the wider community and in influencing the function and nature of Auslan, for example by the introduction of new signs for temporary use in certain contexts
  • exploring the role of deafblind people in the Deaf community
  • investigating historical patterns of employment of deaf people in certain trades and fields of work, and the impact of these traditional employment domains on Auslan development
  • considering ways that Auslan is evolving due to influences such as globalisation and the capacity for new technology to store, record and share sign languages internationally
  • comparing levels of endangerment of different sign languages, such as NZSL, village sign languages, ASL, Scandinavian, South American sign languages and Auslan, for example by using UNESCO data by reviewing the iSLanDS survey findings
  • understanding the challenges faced by Auslan and other signed languages due to intergenerational disjunction in language transmission
  • investigating how new or specialised language associated with domains such as technology, engineering, cooking or fashion are used but not documented in the Deaf community, and how such language impacts on language vitality
  • identifying contexts and circumstances that support increased usage and acceptance of newly coined Auslan terms, for example, a workplace with several deaf employees
  • recognising reasons for the shared sense of identity of sign language users and the notion of reciprocity in the Deaf community
  • researching the role of the World Federation of the Deaf in mapping and monitoring the vitality of sign languages around the world and in protecting sign language diversity
  • analysing ways in which Deaf people design and adapt spaces in cultural ways (‘Deaf space’) in order to use a visual language, for example, by eliminating visual obstacles to signed communication; using circles or semicircles for meeting and learning spaces; and using open-plan areas, lighting and window placement to maximise visual access to information, with reference to Gallaudet University’s Deaf space design principles

  VCASFU197 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Language awareness

• VCASFU103

  Recognise and restrict signing to the standard signing space, and understand that particular signs, depicting signs, some verbs, enacting and pronouns make use of spatial relationships

  Elaborations

  • describing the range of signing space in normal signed discourse
  • recognising that non-body-anchored nouns can be located in the signing space and identifying instances of this
  • noticing that Auslan pronouns are different from English because they don’t show gender but they can show the location and a specific number of referents, for example, WE2 (inclusive) and WE3 (inclusive) or WE2-NOT-INLCLUDING-YOU (exclusive)
  • noticing that a point can refer to a person, place or thing
  • noticing that enacting a role or modifying the beginning and end locations of some verbs can show the referents involved, for example:
    PRO1 ASK PRO3 versus PRO1 ASK-_her
    PRO3 ASK-_me CA:I-was-shocked
    
  • identifying what sorts of things can be represented in a DS by a particular handshape, for example a distant person, pole or tree can be represented by a point handshape, and a cylinder can be traced by a C handshape

  • distinguishing between entity, handling or SASS DSs by looking at what the handshape represents in each type:

    • entity: the handshape is an object or person
    • handling: the handshape represents a person’s hands touching or moving another object
    • SASS: the handshape traces the shape or size

  VCASFU103 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU196

  Understand that Auslan has evolved and developed through different periods of influence and cultural and societal change

  Elaborations

  • researching how BSL from the 1800s evolved into Auslan, NZSL and modern BSL, for example by finding and classifying examples from Auslan, NZSL and BSL signbanks
  • understanding that while the structure of individual signs can change over time in regular ways, there is little information about this process in signed languages due to lack of historic records of signing
  • understanding that greater contact between signers internationally has led to increased borrowing between sign languages, for example, signs that refer to different nation states and cities around the globe, for example, the old Auslan sign for America versus the current sign, or the ASL vehicle handshape in DSs
  • identifying changes to Auslan that reflect changes in social relationships and community attitudes, for example in relation to words/signs such as DEAF^DUMB, DISABILITY, HEARING^IMPAIRED/FS:HOH, DEAF^WORLD/DEAF^COMMUNITY, HUMAM^RIGHT
  • interviewing older members of Deaf families or Deaf communities and reporting back to the class about any differences in signing they noticed, such as more use of fingerspelled words, less use of NMFs and depicting signs, or the use of different signs, such as FILM (old sign), TOILET (old sign)
  • recognising that languages constantly expand to include new words, signs and expressions due to influences such as changing technologies and digital media, for example, COMPUTER, COMPUTER-MOUSE, INTERNET, FACEBOOK, WIFI, FS:PC, SELFIE

  VCASFU196 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Language variation and change

• VCASFU198

  Reflect on how language use is influenced by communities’ world views and sense of identity and on how language and culture influence each other

  Elaborations

  • exploring the nature of culture and how it is related to ways of thinking and using language, for example by comparing the cultural concept of Deaf identity with a medical model of deafness
  • reflecting on ways that Auslan describes and reflects Deaf culture, comparing this to the relationship between their own hearing/background language and culture
  • analysing how concepts related to cultural practices are expressed through language, for example, by identifying elements of naming systems such as the use of pointing, NMFs and name signs, as in the case of number name signs of older deaf people who attended the Victorian School for Deaf Children
  • identifying and discussing core cultural concepts reflected in Auslan, such as the collective nature of the Deaf community, the importance of respect for elders and of reciprocity and responsibility, for example, how signing TAP-2h++ reflects the shared understanding of responsibility to share information and pass on knowledge, or greater use of the ‘flat hand’ rather than the ‘point hand’ and use of full titles in acknowledgements and forms of address when introducing an esteemed elder
  • identifying culturally significant attitudes and beliefs conveyed through Auslan that relate to history, significant individuals, places or events, for example, frustration with the use of ‘voice’ in front of deaf signers can be traced to the historical oppression of signed languages
  • comparing elements of communication in different contexts and exchanges that are culturally specific, such as back-channelling, the use of silence or eye contact, head nodding to indicate understanding rather than agreement, and the implications of such cultural variability in contexts such as in courts of law
  • observing that concepts may be culture and language specific, for example, in relation to time and space, as in the spatial mapping for timelines in Auslan
  • exploring ways in which production and affect related to the sign for COCHLEAR IMPLANT have evolved due to shifting values and perceptions within the Deaf community in relation to the implant, noting, for example, the transition from a negative affect to more neutral production of the sign

  VCASFU198 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Role of language and culture

• VCASFU234

  Explore connections between language, identity and cultural practices, values and beliefs and the expression of these connections in Auslan

  Elaborations

  • recognising that people from different places and backgrounds may use different languages and have ways of living and communicating that differ from their own
  • appreciating that culture and cultural difference means that people may value different things or live differently, noticing observable examples of such difference, such as ways of greeting (bowing versus shaking hands) or conveying information (through words versus signs)
  • exploring how deaf people live in ways that may be different from how hearing people live and that they are primarily visual, for example by responding to stimulus questions such as How do deaf people ensure they can always see other people who are signing?
  • recognising the importance of facial expression, eye gaze and non-manual features in conveying information in a visual-gestural language and culture
  • exploring the nature of culture as an essential part of human life, understanding that it is shared, passed on between generations and is closely connected to language and identity
  • understanding that culture is more than the visible aspects of people’s lives; that it also includes invisible elements such as beliefs and values, how people think about themselves and others, how they relate to their social and physical environments; and considering how this understanding applies to users of Auslan
  • recognising that in each culture there are general rules for what to say and do, when, where and with whom, and that these rules differ from culture to culture, for example, the Deaf culture places greater importance on eye contact than cultures that communicate through spoken languages
  • identifying the importance of signing space and proxemics in Auslan, particularly in relation to a person passing between two signers, or to the positioning of communication partners
  • recognising that shared experiences shape cultural values in Auslan as in other cultures, for example the experience of deaf children being excluded from family and social discourse during dinner table conversations or social events gives rise to the value placed in the Deaf community on ensuring inclusivity and sharing information with each other
  • recognising the importance of community and culture in relation to their own lives and communities and in relation to other language groups and their communities
  • recognising the role of the Deaf community and its networks and significant places in maintaining, reflecting and strengthening Auslan and Deaf culture

  VCASFU234 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Role of language and culture

• VCASFU071

  Understand historical and contemporary factors that impact on awareness, support and use of Auslan and its vitality in contemporary Australia, comparing it with that of other signed languages around the world

  Elaborations

  • considering the impact of international historical events such as the Milan Congress (1880) and the linguistic recognition and documentation of signed languages (1960s and 1970s) on the use of signed languages in education and deaf people’s feelings of ownership and pride in their languages
  • analysing the impact of migration and settlement of deaf people from the UK and other countries in Australia on the development of Auslan
  • investigating the geographical location, origins and history of deaf schools in Australia and the impact of these institutions on the transmission, use and status of Auslan
  • considering the contemporary influences and pressures on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander signed languages and how these may affect their vitality
  • describing the role religion has played in influencing Auslan in terms of usage and spread, for example, by religious orders, early Deaf Societies and Bible translation projects
  • exploring multilingualism in the Deaf community, including the use of Auslan, English and other signed and spoken languages such as Irish-Australian sign language, and how and when users typically switch between languages and dialects
  • investigating the use and impact of generic digital technology and specific forms of communication by Auslan users, for example, video chat, social media, SMS/texting, and NRS and VRS
  • reflecting on the role of Auslan interpreters in raising awareness and understanding of Auslan in the wider community and in influencing the function and nature of Auslan, for example by the introduction of new signs for temporary use in certain contexts
  • investigating historical patterns of employment of deaf people in certain trades and fields of work, and the impact of these traditional employment domains on Auslan development
  • considering ways that Auslan is evolving due to influences such as globalisation and the capacity for new technology to store, record and share sign languages internationally
  • comparing levels of endangerment of different sign languages, such as NZSL, village sign languages, ASL, Scandinavian, South American sign languages and Auslan, for example by using UNESCO data by reviewing the iSLanDS survey findings
  • understanding the challenges faced by Auslan and other signed languages due to intergenerational disjunction in language transmission
  • investigating how new or specialised language associated with domains such as technology, engineering, cooking or fashion are used but not documented in the Deaf community, and how such language impacts on language vitality
  • identifying contexts and circumstances that support increased usage and acceptance of newly coined Auslan terms, for example, a workplace with several deaf employees
  • researching the role of the World Federation of the Deaf in mapping and monitoring the vitality of sign languages around the world and in protecting sign language diversity

  VCASFU071 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Language awareness

• VCASFU102

  Identify and describe all elements of sign production, including handshape and its orientation, movement, location and non-manual features and understand that signs can look like what they represent

  Elaborations

  • realising that meaning is communicated through the use of signs, pictures, written or spoken words or miming
  • identifying the handshape of a sign, for example, COCKATOO (hs:5, palm left) and SOCCER (hs:fist, palm towards signer) and identifying signs of a particular handshape
  • identifying and demonstrating signs with a change in handshape, for example FIND or BEST
  • identifying and demonstrating signs with a change in orientation, for example CAN-NOT or HOW
  • noticing the path movement of a particular sign and identifying signs associated with the major types of path movements, for example, THROUGH (forwards) or FULL (down to up)
  • describing how the movement changes between groups of related numbers, for example, 5, 15, 50, 5th)
  • noticing the five major locations of signs on the body or in space, and identifying signs associated with each, such as SEE (head/face), SAY (mouth/chin), WHY (chest), TALK (hand) and ONE (signing space)
  • understanding that NMFs are important in sign language for showing feelings of the signer or others
  • identifying single, double and two-handed signs, and recognising which hand is dominant (the pen hand) and which is non-dominant (paper) within two-handed signs
  • thinking of body-anchored signs, such as HEAD or WHY, and signs that are not body anchored, such as HAVE or STOP, and recognising that non-body anchored signs can be located in space around the signer
  • understanding that signs can be organised by handshape, for example in Johnston’s Auslan dictionaries or localised handshape dictionaries in schools, and that this is useful if an English word for a sign is not known
  • recognising that some signs are iconic, that is, provide a visual image of a referent, for example, HOUSE, TREE, DRINK, ELEPHANT, and that some are not, such as SISTER, WHY, SIMPLE
  • experimenting with different methods of capturing the signed language, such as: a class-invented script, drawing pictures, videoing, English glosses or ASL-phabet

  VCASFU102 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU072

  Reflect on how language use is influenced by communities’ world views and sense of identity and on how language and culture influence each other

  Elaborations

  • exploring the nature of culture and how it is related to ways of thinking and using language, for example by comparing the cultural concept of Deaf identity with a medical model of deafness
  • exploring ways in which language choices, such as sign choices, reflect attitudes towards certain topics, for example, oralism
  • analysing how concepts related to cultural practices are expressed through language, for example, by identifying particular elements of naming systems, such as the use of pointing, NMFs and name signs, as in the case of number name signs of older deaf people who attended the Victorian School for Deaf Children
  • identifying and discussing core cultural concepts reflected in Auslan such as the collective nature of the Deaf community, the importance of respect for elders and of reciprocity and responsibility, for example, how signing TAP-MANY, TAP-2H++ reflects understanding of responsibility to share information and pass on knowledge, or greater use of the ‘flat hand’ rather than the ‘point hand’ and use of full titles in acknowledgements and forms of address when introducing an esteemed Deaf elder
  • investigating how Auslan users interact with their social and physical environment, for example, locating other signers, gravitating to spaces that are visually accessible
  • identifying culturally significant attitudes and beliefs conveyed through Auslan that relate to history, significant individuals, places or events, for example, attitudes to spoken language that reflect the history of suppression of signed languages, as in the use of signs that reference tensions between oral and signing deaf people or between hearing and deaf people, such as the sign for communication breakdown which infers lack of awareness or understanding of cultural values, beliefs and language on the part of the other party
  • comparing elements of communication in different contexts and exchanges that are culturally specific, such as back-channelling, the use of silence or eye contact, head nodding to indicate understanding rather than agreement, and the implications of such cultural variability in contexts such as courts of law
  • observing that concepts may be culture and language specific, for example, in relation to time and space, as in the spatial mapping for timelines in Auslan
  • understanding how developing sign language literatures which recount significant journeys and events associated with the beginnings of Deaf education and the development of Deaf communities not only map history but also embody values and mores of Deaf cultures, for example, accounts of the Gallaudet and Clerc reciprocal relationship, or the US Civil War deaf soldiers’ story as told by Ben Bahan
  • exploring ways in which the production and affect related to the sign for COCHLEAR-IMPLANT have evolved over time due to shifting values and perceptions of the Deaf community in relation to the implant, noting, for example, the transition from a negative affect to more neutral production of the sign
  • researching examples of deaf leaders who have established organisations or services which met the cultural needs of their community, for example, Dorothy Shaw and Deaf Action Books, Nola Colefax and the Australian Theatre of the Deaf

  VCASFU072 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Role of language and culture

• VCASFU070

  Understand that Auslan has evolved and developed through different periods of influence and cultural and societal change

  Elaborations

  • researching how BSL from the 1800s evolved into Auslan, NZSL and modern BSL, for example by finding and classifying examples from Auslan, NZSL and BSL signbanks
  • understanding that while the structure of individual signs can change over time in regular ways, there is little information about this process in signed languages due to lack of historic records of signing
  • understanding that greater contact between signers internationally has led to increased borrowing between sign languages, for example, signs that refer to different nation states and cities around the globe, for example, the old Auslan sign for America versus the current sign, or the ASL vehicle handshape in DSs
  • identifying changes to Auslan that reflect changes in social relationships and community attitudes, for example in relation to words/signs such as DEAF^DUMB, DISABILITY, HEARING^IMPAIRED/H-O-H, DEAF^WORLD/DEAF^COMMUNITY, HUMAN^RIGHT
  • interviewing older members of Deaf families or Deaf communities and reporting back to the class about any differences in signing they noticed, such as more use of fingerspelled words, less use of NMFs and depicting signs, or the use of different signs, such as FILM (old sign), TOILET (old sign)
  • recognising that languages constantly expand to include new words, signs and expressions due to influences such as changing technologies and digital media, for example, COMPUTER, COMPUTER-MOUSE, INTERNET, FACEBOOK, WIFI, SELFIE

  VCASFU070 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Language variation and change

• VCASFU230

  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

  VCASFU230 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Systems of language