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• VCASFC101

  Reflect on ways in which Auslan and associated communicative and cultural behaviours are similar to or different from other language(s) and forms of cultural expression

  Elaborations

  • comparing aspects of their lives as young deaf people with those of young hearing people as represented in digital images, video clips and narratives, for example, ways of engaging in different games and activities, exchanging stories and interacting socially at school, at home and in the community
  • discussing changes or adaptations they make to their communicative style when communicating with non-signers
  • reflecting on similarities and differences between ways of communicating in Auslan and in Australian English in different social situations, for example, ways of greeting/leave-taking, introducing people and using body language, facial expression and eye contact
  • 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 may differ for hearing students in a spoken language environment
  • reflecting on language differences in forms of address in signed and spoken language, for example, using a person’s name when addressing them directly in Australian English but not in Auslan
  • examining general misconceptions that deaf people may have about hearing people and culture, for example, that hearing people hear and understand everything, or that hearing people can hear from a distance
  • reflecting on and providing possible explanations for assumptions hearing people might have about deaf people or about signed languages

  VCASFC101 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Communicating | Reflecting

• VCASFC227

  Reflect on ways in which Auslan and associated communicative and cultural behaviours are similar to or different from their own language(s) and forms of cultural expression

  Elaborations

  • describing how it feels to use Auslan to communicate, or to watch Auslan being used by others, for example by responding to prompts such as What are the main differences you notice when observing conversations between hearing people and deaf people?
  • discussing changes or adaptations they have to make to their communicative style when using Auslan, for example waiting until they have a deaf person’s visual attention before signing to them, and maintaining eye contact
  • examining similarities and differences between ways of communicating in Auslan and in Australian English in different social situations, for example, in relation to ways of greeting/leave-taking, introducing people and using body language, facial expression and eye contact
  • reflecting on the need for sustained eye contact when using Auslan in order to understand a message and before teacher instructions can proceed
  • noticing differences in forms of address in signed and spoken languages, for example, not using a person’s name when signing directly to them, unlike in Australian English
  • examining general misconceptions held by hearing people about deaf people, Auslan and Deaf culture, for example, that all deaf people can hear with hearing aids, or that deaf people may not drive
  • reflecting on and providing possible explanations for assumptions deaf people might have about hearing people or about spoken languages

  VCASFC227 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Communicating | Reflecting

• Auslan - Second Language Learner - F–10 Sequence: Levels 3 and 4 description

  Students are increasingly aware of differences between Auslan and English. They are developing a wide range of vocabulary and can use simple clause structures to generate their own ideas in structured tasks. They use depicting signs to talk about simple movements and shapes, and with support can...

  Level description | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence

• Auslan - First Language Learner - F–10 Sequence: Levels 5 and 6 achievement standards

  By the end of Level 6, students use Auslan to interact with people for a range of different purposes. They use descriptive and expressive language to share and compare experiences, ideas and opinions, such as THEATRE GOOD, LONG -_really, LONG-_really. They participate in class discussions and show...

  Level description | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 5 and 6

• Auslan - Second Language Learner - 7–10 Sequence: Levels 9 and 10 achievement standards

  By the end of Level 10, students interact with peers, teachers and others using Auslan to communicate about personal interests and broader issues relating to the Deaf community. They participate in class discussions, explaining and clarifying positions, asking follow-up questions, using non-manual...

  Level description | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10

• Languages | Auslan: Scope and Sequence

  The curriculum sets out what students are expected to learn and is designed as a continuum of learning. The curriculum is being presented in a scope and sequence chart to support teachers to easily see the progression and assist in planning teaching and learning programs to meet the diverse needs...

  Overview material | Auslan

• VCASFU122

  Understand and control additional elements of Auslan grammar, such as the use of non-manual features for topicalisation, negation or question forms, and develop awareness of how signers use constructed action and depicting signs

  Elaborations

  • noticing that sometimes Auslan signers have information about how a verb happens through NMFs not separate signs (for example WRITE-_carelessly)
  • 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)
  • understanding that, in terms of meaning, a basic clause represents: a happening or a state (verb), who or what is involved (noun or nouns) and the surrounding circumstances (adverb or adverbs)
  • noticing that clauses can be made more vivid by integrating CA or DSs to show with body or hands or by showing adverbial or adjectival meanings
  • recognising how conjunctions such as PLUS, IF or BUT are used to join clauses and create cohesion
  • recognising that the element of a clause that a signer wants to focus on most in Auslan is sometimes moved to be signed first and that this process of topicalisation involves particular NMFs
  • recognising that signers may include both linguistic and gestural elements in a clause, that is, signers can tell, show or do both in a composite utterance
  • realising that in many clauses signers ‘tell’ with lexical signs at the same time as ‘show’ with DS, CA and other gestural elements

  VCASFU122 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU035

  Develop awareness of the social and cultural nature and context of Auslan and other sign languages, of their different modes of expression and of the related issue of language vitality

  Elaborations

  • identifying different ways Deaf community members communicate with each other and with members of the wider hearing community, including face to face or via technology such as NRS or VRS, through social media, the use of English or the use of interpreters
  • describing the visibility and use of Auslan in the wider community, for example in television programs; on the news; at community events, sporting fixtures; and in emergency announcements
  • recognising that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ use of signed languages is culturally determined and shaped by their beliefs and values
  • exploring the vitality of Auslan and other spoken and signed languages, appreciating that a language with strong vitality is one used by many people in the home and other domains, across generations, to talk about most topics
  • understanding that some languages used in Australia such as English have large numbers of users, while others, such as many spoken and signed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, are endangered or in the process of being revived or reclaimed
  • understanding that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander signed languages arise from specific needs, for example, certain cultural restrictions on speech, or the presence of deaf people
  • identifying behaviours, rights, roles and responsibilities in relation to the ownership and maintenance of Auslan, and identifying how this ownership rests with the Deaf community and is determined by traditional social groupings/families, place, history and stories

  VCASFU035 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 3 and 4 | Understanding | Language awareness

• VCASFC206

  Consider the dynamic nature of translating and interpreting and the role of culture when transferring meaning from one language to another

  Elaborations

  • experimenting with literal Auslan translations of popular English idioms, noticing when this creates confusion (for example, ‘raining cats and dogs’) and recognising the nature and function of cultural elements of communication and their impact on language use
  • comparing different translations of online Auslan and English public announcements or government policy/information texts in terms of approaches to translation, for example, free versus literal translation
  • using different resources, including online dictionaries and footage, to assist in translation, for example by comparing individual translations, back-translations and reviewing useful references
  • viewing and discussing the quality of online Auslan translations, such as the Catching Fire series of safety videos
  • recognising the need to sometimes recast language, and considering why one language may use more words/signs than another to communicate a particular meaning or concept, for example, Auslan uses spatial concepts or depicting signs to describe the scene of a car crash, which will take longer to explicate in a linear spoken language
  • translating small chunks of unfamiliar English text such as a news update from an autocue or poster card into Auslan in consecutive mode
  • providing annotated examples of translations of poems or other text types, identifying challenges involved in transferring meaning, expression, culture or mood
  • translating songs, poems or short stories from English into Auslan, for example, ‘I Am Australian’
  • exploring the role and function of Deaf interpreters and differences between Deaf interpreters and Auslan–English interpreters
  • researching aspects of available interpreting services in the area, for example, qualifications required for employment, ethical considerations, and issues of interpreting and translating in specialised contexts such as health, education, legal settings
  • developing guidelines on culturally appropriate and ethical behaviour when interpreting and translating, for example explaining ways people should act in interpreting contexts, considering potential consequences of inaccurate interpreting
  • role-playing interpreting in a range of contexts, for example, in a shop or at a sports match
  • participating in an excursion to an interpreted theatre event, with prior knowledge of the text/story and attending to the interpretation for discussion later in class

  VCASFC206 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Communicating | Translating

• Auslan - Second Language Learner - F–10 Sequence: Levels 9 and 10 description

  Students extend their grammatical knowledge and metalanguage while beginning to explore more nuanced features of Auslan. They use strategies to initiate and sustain conversations, using more elaborate sentence structures such as embedding clauses. They can identify and describe some metaphorical...

  Level description | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence

• VCASFU126

  Understand that Auslan and Deaf culture are interrelated, that they shape and are shaped by each other, that their relationship changes over time and across contexts, and that they may be differently interpreted by users of other languages

  Elaborations

  • appreciating distinctions between Deaf cultures and other cultural minorities, such as the fact that most deaf people are born to hearing parents and acquire Deaf culture in addition to the culture of their families of origin from peers and other Auslan users in school or as adults in the Deaf community
  • exploring ways in which language choices reflect attitudes towards certain topics, such as oralism or cochlear implants, identifying examples of sign choices that reflect particular attitudes or views
  • understanding that knowledge about past and present Deaf people and about Deaf cultural values is embodied in and transmitted through Auslan, for example, ways of producing the sign for SIGN embody cultural meaning, regarding distinctions made and values placed on fluent or awkward signing
  • identifying differences between the use of personal names in Auslan and in other languages, for example, Auslan signers not using a person’s name sign when addressing them directly, in contrast to the practice in many spoken languages
  • considering cultural explanations for conversational strategies used by Auslan signers to avoid conflict and to maintain privacy, such as changing signing space and style, and using indirect language such as signing lower or under the table, or fingerspelling instead of signing overtly
  • appreciating the cultural value and importance of festivals and other events in the Deaf community, such as NWDP, as celebrations of language, history, culture and identity
  • reflecting on the ways that culture is interpreted by others, for example by identifying how stereotypes about deaf and hearing people influence perceptions among members of either community
  • understanding that ‘sound’ is accessed differently in Deaf culture, that the meaning and importance of sound in deaf people’s lives is usually not the same as in hearing people’s experience

  VCASFU126 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding | Role of language and culture

• VCASFU161

  Develop awareness of the social and cultural nature and context of Auslan and other sign languages, of their different modes of expression and of the related issue of language vitality

  Elaborations

  • identifying different ways Deaf community members communicate with each other and with members of the wider hearing community, including face to face or via technology such as NRS or VRS, through social media, the use of English or the use of interpreters
  • identifying how deaf people modify space to maximise visual attention, such as adjusting seating or removing visual obstacles
  • exploring different expressions for gaining attention or signalling enjoyment, such as tapping, waving, stomping or using visual applause, and their suitability for visual language users
  • recognising that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ use of signed languages is culturally determined and shaped by their beliefs and values
  • understanding cultural values associated with the conferment of name signs to people, such as second language learners of Auslan who are joining the Deaf community
  • exploring the vitality of Auslan and other spoken and signed languages, appreciating that a language with strong vitality is one used by many people in the home and other domains, across generations, to talk about most topics
  • understanding how and why some deaf children face challenges with communication in hearing families or in social settings
  • understanding that some languages used in Australia, such as English, have large numbers of users, while others, such as many spoken and signed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, are endangered or in the process of being revived or reclaimed
  • recognising the important role of deaf families and deaf schools in preserving and maintaining Auslan and cultural identity
  • understanding that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander signed languages arise from specific needs, for example, certain cultural restrictions on speech, or the presence of deaf people
  • exploring relationships between place, space and people, considering why some places and spaces make deaf people feel comfortable and promote a sense of cultural belonging and pride
  • identifying behaviours, rights, roles and responsibilities in relation to the ownership and maintenance of Auslan, and recognising that this ownership rests with the Deaf community and is determined by traditional social groupings/families, places, history and stories

  VCASFU161 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 3 and 4 | Understanding | Language awareness

• 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

• VCASFU248

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

  Elaborations

  • observing that some noun groups are not signed overtly, particularly if maintaining the same referent rather than introducing a new one
  • 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 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 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, PLEASED-_really, TALL-_really
  • recognising that typically signers use DSs to show spatial relationships, not separate signs such as ON or UNDER
  • recognising how conjunctions such as PLUS, IF or BUT are used to join clauses and create cohesion
  • recognising that clauses can also be joined through particular NMFs
  • noticing that clauses can be linked equally or unequally, where one clause depends on another
  • recognising that the element of a clause that a signer wants to focus on most in Auslan is sometimes moved to be signed first and that this process of topicalisation involves particular NMFs
  • noticing that clauses are elaborated and made more vivid by adding adjectives and adverbs and by enacting or using DSs
  • realising that in many clauses signers ‘tell’ with fully-lexical signs at the same time as ‘show’ with DS, periods of CA and other gestural elements
  • noticing when signers are using composite utterances, for example those that include elements of CA, DSs, points and lexical signs, and how that affects the structure of a clause

  VCASFU248 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFC224

  Translate and interpret short texts from Auslan to English and vice versa, noticing which concepts translate easily and which do not

  Elaborations

  • recognising that every language uses words or signs to make meaning
  • identifying aspects of Auslan which are the same in English, such as the fingerspelled alphabet
  • identifying and comparing key signs and words in Auslan and English versions of familiar texts such as short stories or fairytales on the Auslan Storybooks website, noticing how signs can convey rich, multilayered meaning which might not have a direct match in English
  • shadowing a story in Auslan as a pre-interpreting skill, noticing which phrases and concepts need more unpacking
  • demonstrating the use of Signbank, for example by using it to look up various meanings of the word ‘run’, comparing variations in signs for the concept in different contexts, and using it to translate Auslan into English and vice versa
  • translating simple filmed texts in Auslan into written English captions
  • sight translating short English texts such as news articles or short speeches into Auslan for review by their peers
  • considering the bimodal nature of Auslan–English interpreting and discussing the possibility of consecutive and simultaneous interpreting of information in communicative exchanges

  VCASFC224 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Communicating | Translating

• VCASFC029

  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?

  VCASFC029 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 3 and 4 | Communicating | Reflecting

• VCASFC010

  Explore ideas of identity, social groupings, relationship, space and place, and how these relate to the Deaf community

  Elaborations

  • describing themselves as belonging to their family and to social groups such as their class or age cohort of deaf children
  • exploring concepts of difference and sameness
  • representing their relationships with others by drawing pictures, adding captions to photos, creating posters or digital presentations to depict their family, labelling immediate and extended family members as deaf or hearing
  • identifying themselves as members of different groups and describing their relationships with deaf, hard of hearing and hearing children, family members, the Deaf community and the wider ‘hearing’ society
  • identifying and describing physical markers of identity among deaf children, for example hearing devices such as hearing aids, cochlear implants and FM systems
  • identifying and discussing their own and each other’s family names, given name/s and name signs
  • identifying elements of their behaviours or relationships that mark their individual or Deaf community identity such as the use of Auslan
  • identifying places that are significant to them personally and are important to their identity
  • exploring relationships between place, space and people, considering why some places and spaces make deaf people feel comfortable and promote a sense of belonging, for example those that facilitate face-to-face communication
  • considering roles and responsibilities in relation to membership of a Deaf community, for example by describing how they can help others to be aware of their communication preferences in the classroom or with extended family
  • exploring their shared experience as ‘people of the eye’, for example by identifying the importance of space for waving or using flashing lights to gain attention or to give visual applause

  VCASFC010 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Foundation to Level 2 | Communicating | Identity

• Auslan - First Language Learner - 7–10 Sequence: Levels 9 and 10 description

  Students increasingly use conventional Auslan: lexical signs or depicting signs with conventional classifier handshapes, and rely less on their idiosyncratic systems. They learn to modify some indicating verbs for non-present referents and use constructed action to represent themselves or others...

  Level description | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence

• VCASFU233

  Develop awareness of the sociocultural context, nature and status of Auslan and of the Deaf community in multilingual Australia

  Elaborations

  • identifying the importance of place and space in the Deaf community, exploring why some places and spaces ensure that a visual language is more accessible to deaf people and promotes a sense of cultural belonging, for example by identifying factors that make a classroom ‘Deaf friendly’, such as U-shape seating, minimisation of window glare/reflection, good lighting and acoustics, flashing lights, suitable interpreter location
  • identifying examples of deaf people’s visual orientation towards the world, such as using visual applause or being astute in reading body language
  • describing how and why deaf people use vibrating devices to alert them to alarms or information, or have flashing lights for the door, phone, alarm clock, baby cry alarm and other systems
  • understanding cultural values associated with the conferring of name signs on those such as second language learners of Auslan who are joining the Deaf community
  • explaining the role and function of Auslan–English interpreters and Deaf interpreters and the access and opportunities they provide
  • identifying and describing physical markers of identity among deaf people, including the use of sign language and/or hearing devices such as hearing aids, cochlear implants and FM systems
  • exploring variation in Auslan fluency among their classmates and members of the Deaf community, identifying the influence of variables such as where and when people learnt to sign and whether they are from a deaf or hearing family
  • investigating how Auslan and Deaf culture are promoted in the wider community, for example through the influence of organisations such as Deaf Australia; the work of high-profile individuals such as activists or actors; or through events such as NWDP Deaf Festival, Australian Deaf Games or Deaf art exhibitions
  • understanding the nature of the transmission of Auslan, for example how in most cases Auslan is not passed on from parent to child but often from child to child, or to children by adults outside the family, and knowing that some Deaf people learn Auslan as a late acquired language in early adulthood
  • exploring the nature of multilingualism in the Deaf community, including the use of Auslan, English and other signed and spoken languages, considering how and when people typically switch between languages and dialects
  • 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 issues such as accessibility and communication between members of the Deaf community
  • investigating communication methods used by deaf and hard of hearing members of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
  • discussing behaviour associated with cultural practices, language and traditions, for example, by discussing the concept of reciprocity as a manifestation of how community members share responsibility for each other’s wellbeing, or the value placed on the use of sign language for shared understanding and trust

  VCASFU233 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Language awareness

• VCASFU144

  Notice that people use language in ways that reflect their culture, such as where and how they live, who they live with and what is important to them

  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 learning Auslan involves entering into a visual world or culture, for example by exploring different connections with physical space, such as being able to communicate through windows, or from a distance
  • exploring how deaf people live in ways that may be different from how hearing people live, for example by responding to stimulus questions such as How do deaf people ensure they can always see other people who are signing? How do deaf people watch movies or television programs?
  • recognising the importance of facial expression, eye gaze and NMFs in conveying information in a visual-gestural language and culture
  • 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

  VCASFU144 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Foundation to Level 2 | Understanding | Role of language and culture