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• VCASFU216

  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

  • analysing language used in pathological and sociocultural models of deafness, and the impact that each model, the philosophy that frames it 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 stories featuring gaslight
  • 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, or fingerspelling instead of signing overtly
  • understanding that Auslan plays an important role in the expression and maintenance of Deaf culture, that each deaf person has the right to learn and use Auslan as part of their birthright, along with 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
  • understanding that sign language literatures recount significant journeys and events associated with the beginnings of Deaf education and the development of Deaf communities, and that they embody history and values of Deaf culture, for example, the Gallaudet and Clerc meeting or US Civil War stories that validate and reference shared Deaf identity, culture, language and experience
  • recognising that Auslan signs change over time due to shifting cultural values and experiences, for example, the modification of the sign for APPRENTICE to refer to TAFE, and shifting values around the sign DEAF^DEAF as the sign for DEAF (culturally Deaf reference for deaf-mute) and unsuccessful attempts to reframe this with an audiological focus

  VCASFU216 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | 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

• VCASFU250

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

  Elaborations

  • recognising that there is a greater degree of flexibility and variability in ‘oral’, face-to-face languages such as Auslan compared to spoken/written languages passed on from parents to children, for example, less standardisation and minimal ‘frozen texts’, and considering reasons for such differences
  • researching different aspects of variation in the use of Auslan, considering influences such as geographical location, social groupings, history, educational experience, age of learning, family background and contact with Signed English or other languages
  • considering the effect that expanding sign language interpreter services might have on standardising Auslan, especially in the areas of education and medicine
  • 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
  • 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

  VCASFU250 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding | Language variation and change

• VCASFC147

  Respond to questions, directions and requests, using non-manual features and simple questions and statements to ask for help, to indicate understanding or agreement and to negotiate turn-taking

  Elaborations

  • responding to classroom instructions such as
    PLEASE WITH-2++ DS:sit-opposite
    Please find a partner and sit opposite each other.
    DS:line-up PLEASE
    Line up, please.
    LOOK-AT-_me
    Look to the front.
    
  • attracting attention or asking for help, repetition or clarification, for example:
    PLEASE HELP-_me?
    Can you help me, please?
    PLEASE AGAIN SIGN
    Please sign that again.
    PLEASE EXPLAIN-_{to self} AGAIN
    Please explain that again.
    WHAT MEAN?
    What do you mean?
    PRO2 MEAN…?
    Do you mean …?
    
  • negotiating turn-taking, for example:
    PRO1 FIRST YOUR-TURN
    It’s my turn first, then your turn.
    
  • using back-channels, for example, head nodding to indicate understanding, or raised eyebrows or head shaking to indicate lack of understanding
  • gaining the attention of a group or an individual, for example by flashing classroom lights, waving or multiple tapping or tapping or pointing to alert third parties
  • maintaining eye contact when communicating

  VCASFC147 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 3 and 4 | Communicating | Socialising

• VCASFC237

  Interact appropriately with the teaching team, peers and members of the Deaf community, adjusting language when necessary and demonstrating understanding of appropriate protocols in and out of the classroom

  Elaborations

  • demonstrating use of appropriate protocols within and beyond the classroom, such as gaining group attention through flashing lights, tapping, foot stomping and waving, and maintaining eye gaze, back-channelling and limiting the use of voice when interacting with unfamiliar Auslan users
  • adjusting the physical environment, including people and objects, to enable communication in a well-lit environment without glare or obstructions
  • demonstrating culturally appropriate behaviours when using or accessing an interpreter, such as not interrupting or blocking the line of sight
  • using appropriate discourse markers and NMFs to facilitate clear communication, for example:
    SURPRISE
    Oooh (with appropriate intonation)
    INCREDIBLE
    No way!
    WOW
    Wow!
    UM
    um …
    HOLD…
    Hang on a minute …
  • clarifying information, such as:
    WHAT? PLEASE AGAIN
    Could you repeat that, please?
    RIGHT PRO2 SAY PRO1 FIX THAT?
    So, you want me to fix that?
    PLEASE SLOW SIGN
    Could you sign that slowly, please?
    PRO2 SAY BEFORE WHAT?
    What did you just say, sorry?
  • asking for elaboration of information by adding comments, for example:
    RIGHT-YEAH INTERESTING BUT I WANT ADD COMMENT
    Well, yes, that’s interesting but I’d like to add something.
    STILL GO-AHEAD
    Go ahead …

  VCASFC237 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Communicating | Socialising

• VCASFU157

  Understand how space is used in Auslan to show who is involved in an event through the meaningful location of nouns and verbs, the use of depicting signs and enacting

  Elaborations

  • recognising that non-body-anchored nouns can be located in space and identifying instances of this
  • discussing the functions of different pointing signs, such as pronouns, determiners and locatives
  • noticing that single-digit numbers can be separate lexical items or merged into other signs (numeral incorporation) such as those for ages (for example, 5-YEARS-OLD) or adverbs of time (for example, 3-WEEKS-AGO) or pronouns (WE3, WE4)
  • understanding that some verb forms in Auslan indicate who is involved in a verb by changing the direction of the movement or orientation of the handshape
  • noticing the relationship between the location of referents in real space and the direction of some indicating verbs in a text
  • identifying instances of DSs with appropriate support
  • comparing English adjectives with SASS DSs

  VCASFU157 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 3 and 4 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU015

  Understand that texts are made up of units of meaning, such as words, gestures or sentences/clauses and that different types of texts have particular features that help serve their purpose

  Elaborations

  • recognising that texts are made up of one or more clauses which together make meaning
  • recognising that different signed texts serve different purposes, and discussing and comparing these purposes (for example, the text genre procedure is to explain how, a narrative is to narrate, tell or entertain)
  • identifying characteristic structures and features of particular types of Auslan texts and noticing how they suit the intended purpose, for example, the expression of emotions in a recount compared to presenting facts in an information report
  • identifying different signs used by a signer to refer to the same person in a text, considering how this helps to maintain interest and understanding

  VCASFU015 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Foundation to Level 2 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU141

  Understand that texts are made up of units of meaning such as groups of words or sentences and that different types of texts have different features that help serve their purpose

  Elaborations

  • recognising that texts are created to achieve different purposes, for example some texts tell stories or entertain while others give information
  • noticing differences in facial expressions of a signer when presenting different types of text, for example a procedure versus a narrative

  VCASFU141 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Foundation to Level 2 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU068

  Understand that utterances in Auslan can consist of a mix of gestural and signed components, and that non-manual features are often used to link clauses into equal or unequal relationships

  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, for example, PRO3 BIG
  • recognising that some verbs and nouns use the same sign but change the movement in a regular way making noun-verb pairs, such as SCISSORS versus CUT-WITH-SCISSORS
  • being able to describe various types of clauses and recognising that these often co-occur with particular NMFs, such as questions, topicalised sentences, negation or conditionals
  • analysing yes/no questions and wh- questions to identify how NMFs and particular lexical signs are used to make each type of question
  • recognising how NMFs can create emphasis or stress
  • 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
  • noticing with support, when signers are using composite utterances, that is, those that have elements of CA, DSs, points and DSs, and fully-lexical signs in the same utterance
  • identifying clauses that are linked equally and unequally, where one clause depends on another

  VCASFU068 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU229

  Recognise and restrict signing to the standard signing space, and understand that pronouns, depicting signs and verbs can be located meaningfully in that space to show participants in a process

  Elaborations

  • describing the range of signing space in normal signed discourse
  • recognising that non-body-anchored nouns can be located in space and identifying instances of this
  • comparing and contrasting Auslan and English pronouns, in particular noticing that Auslan pronouns don’t show gender but they can show location and a specific number of referents, for example, WE2 (inclusive) and WE3 (inclusive) or WE2-NOT-INCLUDING-YOU (exclusive)
  • discussing the functions of different pointing signs, such as pronouns, determiners, locatives
  • 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
  • identifying examples of DSs in an Auslan text, and 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

  VCASFU229 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU159

  Understand how signers make different language choices in different types of texts and compare this with English versions of text types, 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 and which together make meaning
  • discussing and comparing the purposes of familiar texts such as class discussions or stories
  • comparing a short text in Auslan with an equivalent English text, noticing similarities and differences in their structure and language features
  • observing how texts build cohesion, for example by using different signs to refer to the same person

  VCASFU159 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 3 and 4 | Understanding | Systems of language

• 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

• VCASFU210

  Understand the perceptual and articulatory reasons for the structure of signs, consider limitations of glossing and explore how video annotation software can improve transcription

  Elaborations

  • noticing limitations on perception of signed languages, such as the more limited space for signed communication compared to space for mime
  • exploring perceptual and articulatory reasons why some handshapes are more common than others
  • understanding that the elements of a sign can be arbitrary (for example, the handshape or movement of the sign WHY) or meaningful, such as the movement and the handshape in the sign GIVE
  • beginning to identify and describe metaphorical iconicity, for example, LOVE, AVOID/RESIST, and discussing how it relates to metaphors in English, for example the ‘time as space’ metaphor in both languages
  • applying knowledge of iconicity in signed languages, for example how the path movement of a verb can be a metaphor for the timing of an action, for example PRO1 WAIT-_{for-a-long-time} PRO2, observing that English can do the same with changes to the length of phonemes, for example, I screeeeeeaaaaaamed!
  • evaluating video annotation software such as ELAN as a tool to assist in the transcription and analysis of signed languages
  • glossing a text, including identifying which signs are used, and transcribing DSs and periods of CA

  VCASFU210 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU012

  Recognise the main formational elements of handshape, movement and location in Auslan signs, and understand that a sign is the same as a spoken or written word even though it can be iconic

  Elaborations

  • noticing the handshape of individual signs, and identifying signs that are made with a particular handshape, for example, COCKATOO (hs:5) and SOCCER (hs:fist)
  • recognising that signs are categorised by the handshape at the start of the sign
  • 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
  • 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)
  • understanding that sounds in English words are like handshapes, movements and locations in Auslan in the sense that they are combined together to make signs
  • recognising that some signs are iconic, linking to the appearance of a referent, for example, HOUSE, TREE, DRINK, ELEPHANT and that some are not, such as SISTER, WHY, SIMPLE
  • recognising that unlike English, which can be spoken or written, signed languages are not usually written down but occur ‘through the air’
  • experimenting with different methods of capturing the signed language, such as: a class-invented script, drawing pictures, videoing, English glosses or ASL-phabet

  VCASFU012 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Foundation to Level 2 | 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

• VCASFU156

  Identify the movement and location of different signs and notice how they combine with handshape to form signs, and understand that Auslan can be videoed and transcribed to assist learning

  Elaborations

  • identifying the location of a sign on the body or in space
  • 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)
  • recognising that handshapes must be performed in a particular orientation
  • 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
  • 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
  • identifying single, double and two-handed signs, and recognising which hand is dominant (the pen hand) and which is non-dominant (the paper hand) within two-handed signs
  • 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
  • learning to film themselves and analyse the video or to read simple glosses produced by the teacher, and understanding that the English word used is often not an exact match for the meaning of the sign

  VCASFU156 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 3 and 4 | Understanding | Systems of language

• 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

• VCASFU212

  Understand and describe complex grammatical structures combining depicting signs, constructed action and various clauses for a range of language functions, such as interaction, narration or description

  Elaborations

  • recognising signs that function as interjections or discourse markers
  • understanding the difference between definite and indefinite reference and how Auslan shows this distinction
  • noticing how to use modal verbs and NMFs to express possibility, obligation and ability (MIGHT, SHOULD)
  • recognising that conditional forms have a main and dependent clause and associated NMFs
  • identifying coordinated clauses showing causation and describing how it is shown, for example:
    PRO3 STUDY-_hard BECAUSE WANT EXAM MARKS GOOD
  • recognising how emphasis in sentences can be changed by reordering clauses or parts of clauses
  • recognising that the presence of CA or DSs affects how a clause is structured

  VCASFU212 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU176

  Develop understanding of the important role of non-manual features in adverbs and joining clauses, and know that spatial relationships in Auslan are typically expressed with depicting signs

  Elaborations

  • recognising that quantifiers such as FEW or THREE are also types of adjective signs
  • noticing that sometimes Auslan signers have information about how a verb happens through NMFs not separate signs (for example, WRITE-_carelessly)
  • recognising that some adverbs modify adjectives, not verbs, for example VERY, and that these modifications to adjectives can also be expressed with NMFs, for example changes in mouth patterns and movement of signs can intensify adjectives, for example, RED-_really, PLEASE-_really, TALL-_really
  • distinguishing between the citation form of a sign and the adverbial NMF overlaid and what meaning each part carries, for example: MAN SPRINT (base form), MAN SPRINT_-fast (manner added)
  • recognising how conjunctions such as plus, if or but are used to join clauses and create cohesion
  • 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 typically signers use DSs to show spatial relationships, not separate signs such as ON or UNDER
  • recognising that some nouns are not signed overtly in a clause, for example in the clauses below, the noun (the swimmer) is given in the first clause but not repeated in the second
    PRO2 SWIM DETERMINED SWIM, NOT WIN
    You swam really hard but you didn’t win.
    
  • noticing that clauses are elaborated and made more vivid by adding adjectives and adverbs and by enacting or using DSs, and that they can be joined by conjunctions to make longer sentences
  • noticing that parts of a sentence can be signed simultaneously in Auslan, making it hard to establish word order
  • recognising that the element of a sentence that a signer wants most focus on is sometimes signed first and that this process of topicalisation involves particular NMFs

  VCASFU176 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 5 and 6 | Understanding | Systems of language