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• VCASFC058

  Investigate and synthesise information collected from a range of perspectives and sources, identifying how culture and context affect how information is presented

  Elaborations

  • summarising ideas and information included in presentations by deaf visitors
  • collecting and summarising information on a selected topic sourced from different contexts, considering how context affects presentation of data
  • viewing Auslan texts that present different views on an issue of relevance to their age group, such as cochlear implants or social inclusion, considering how context and culture shape perspectives
  • researching information relating to deaf political movements at different times and in different contexts, drawing comparisons with current deaf organisations, such as the Deaf President Now movement and recruitment of Deaf CEOs
  • surveying peers or members of their family/community on topics related to deafness and the use of Auslan, discussing how commentaries they collect reflect different viewpoints and cultural perspectives
  • collecting information from texts such as interviews, documentaries or presentations to use in new forms, for example, to create a profile of notable Deaf Australians, such as Alastair McEwin, Nola Colefax, Colin Allen or Drisana Levitzke-Gray
  • paraphrasing and evaluating segments of recorded interviews with deaf artists on social media talking about their experience and artistic practice, for example, Deaf Arts Network

  VCASFC058 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Communicating | Informing

• 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

• 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

• 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

• VCASFC096

  Participate in the viewing of recorded or live imaginative signed texts, responding through drawing, miming, gesture or modelled signs

  Elaborations

  • viewing narratives in Auslan, for example, from the Auslan Storybooks website, demonstrating understanding through drawing, gesture and modelled signs
  • responding to short expressive texts that involve the movement of people, animals or vehicles, demonstrating understanding through drawings or familiar signs
  • responding to key elements of short signed stories, for example by mimicking facial expressions or repeated signs
  • participating in interactions in Auslan that involve imaginative responses to stimuli such as cartoons using gestures, handshapes, facial expressions and simple signs to suggest what happens next in the story
  • engaging with different forms of Deaf art, such as handshape creations, and responding by creating their own piece of art on a similar theme
  • shadowing NMFs in short Auslan poems or narratives
  • retelling favourite events of an Auslan story using modelled signing
  • engaging in imaginative interactions that involve the creation of mood or momentum through repeated use of signs, handshapes and facial expressions to modify manner or intensify adjectives
  • responding to performances of Deaf poetry that evoke emotions such as sadness, fear or excitement, for example by indicating enjoyment or different personal feelings

  VCASFC096 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Communicating | Creating

• 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

• VCASFC100

  Explore the concepts of identity, social groupings, relationships, community and place and space, and deaf people’s visual ways of being and negotiating these networks

  Elaborations

  • identifying themselves as members of different groups and describing their relationships with deaf, hard of hearing and hearing students, family members, the larger Deaf community and wider ‘hearing’ world
  • identifying and describing physical markers of identity among deaf people, such as the use of sign language and/or hearing devices such as hearing aids, cochlear implants and FM systems
  • creating a poster depicting their own family and labelling immediate and extended family members as deaf/hearing
  • identifying and discussing family names, given name/s and name signs for themselves and for others
  • exchanging views on how their individual biographies, including family origins, traditions, beliefs, communicative practices, interests and experiences, shape their sense of identity and impact on their ways of communicating
  • building an understanding of the concept of Deafhood and how each individual’s journey of identity development contributes to social relationships and to the formation of community, for example, by creating an individual identity map or a hand map
  • discussing visual ways of being, including interacting, transmitting and receiving information and behaving according to Deaf cultural values, and how these influence group learning and information sharing among Deaf people
  • investigating Deaf cultures around the world and how they shape visual ways of being, for example by considering how Deaf people from different countries and ethnic groups express shared group identity through practices such as gathering formally as a national or international community via opportunities such as Deaf film festivals; performing arts events, for example, Deaf Way; theatrical events; art exhibitions; or sporting events such as ADG, Deaflympics
  • responding to deaf people from different groups and backgrounds who visit and present about their education, families, social networks and sense of community/identity, for example by discussing similarities and differences between visitors’ reported experiences and their own lives
  • identifying the importance of place and space in the Deaf community, exploring why some places and spaces make deaf people feel comfortable or promote a sense of 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 (‘people of the eye’), such as waving in space or using flashing lights to gain attention, visual applause
  • identifying their own stories, history, roles, responsibilities and links to the Deaf community and considering how these relate to their sense of identity
  • recognising that signed language is a birthright which establishes their identity with respect to the Deaf community and its traditions
  • viewing and creating accounts of their own and each other’s experience and roles in the Deaf community and identifying examples of the different ways of being deaf that they describe
  • discussing behaviour associated with cultural practices and traditions, for example, by discussing the concept of reciprocity as a manifestation of how community members share responsibility for each other’s wellbeing

  VCASFC100 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Communicating | Identity

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• VCASFC061

  Create imaginative and expressive texts that draw from their experience as Auslan users and members of the Deaf community and which support the experience of younger learners

  Elaborations

  • composing and performing soliloquies that capture elements of the Deaf experience in a hearing world
  • creating resources to support younger learners of Auslan, such as signed versions of games such as ‘Guess Who?’, riddles, treasure hunts or amusing tales
  • creating imaginative texts that present abstract ideas, such as hope, inclusion, friendship, in creative or amusing ways
  • creating an Auslan version of a popular song, using elements of all parameters to convey key messages and nuance emotional expression
  • creating a piece of art, such as a drawing, painting or photo collage, that reflects their experience of living in and moving between the Deaf and hearing worlds
  • engaging with the work of Deaf theatre groups such as the Australian Theatre of the Deaf, using elements of performances as models for their own experimentation with signed theatre
  • creating a performance for a school or Deaf festival based on the lives of celebrated or historical members of the Deaf community
  • presenting a short story based on their own experience of being a deaf student in a hearing school community, incorporating key elements of narrative structure, such as character introduction, problem/conflict, resolution
  • re-creating a theatre set from a two-dimensional image using signed space

  VCASFC061 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Communicating | Creating

• 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

• VCASFC065

  Participate in and reflect on intercultural interactions and experiences, for example by considering and comparing their responses and strategies when engaging with hearing people

  Elaborations

  • comparing their experience of interacting with hearing people in various domains online or face to face, such as after-school sports clubs, analysing these experiences in terms of their perceptions, understandings or attitudes
  • reflecting on how differences between signed and spoken language users may be perceived, for example in relation to different protocols when joining interactions, taking turns, using names, or passing between people who are communicating with each other
  • reflecting on the concepts of insider and outsider views of the Deaf community and on their own position as first language learners of Auslan
  • reflecting on their own and others’ social attitudes and responses to differences in behaviours or communicative styles, for example on how they feel when hearing people do not make eye contact during an interaction
  • reflecting on how their own ways of communicating may be interpreted by hearing people, and on how they need to modify or consider other communication strategies and behaviour, such as the use of eye contact, facial expression or body language
  • comparing strategies used by deaf and hearing adults to negotiate the physical environment, for example, different behaviours that reflect different perceptual perspectives in contexts such as travelling in a lift

  VCASFC065 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Communicating | Reflecting

• VCASFC055

  Initiate and sustain interactions to share ideas and interests, report on experiences, offer opinions and connect with events in their school and local community

  Elaborations

  • exchanging opinions about topics such as food, sport, lifestyles, health, music or travel
  • participating in videoconferencing to compare and contrast aspects of their school experience, for example by communicating online with deaf students from different schools in another state/territory
  • discussing the relationship between events in their school or local community and interest groups they identify with by conducting an in-class survey
  • describing aspects of their school, community, home or social lives, for example:
    SCHOOL DS(5CLAW):located-at DS(C):l-shape…
    The school is located here, and then there’s a large L-shaped building on the right.
    WEEKEND, I VISIT HEARING FRIEND WE2 WATCH MOVIE OR DS:2-people-walk SHOPS OR SOMETIMES STAY HOME DS:press-console
    On the weekends, my hearing friend and I like to go to the movies or the shops, but sometimes we just play video games.
    
  • offering opinions about issues under consideration in their class or school community, such as their school policy on social media use
  • developing narrative and expressive skills by exchanging accounts of personally significant influences, experiences or milestones, identifying common experiences, such as describing their favourite holiday or their personal hero
  • comparing their experience of involvement in the Deaf community, and sharing their views on the importance of this experience in their lives by describing their relationships with deaf people outside of school

  VCASFC055 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Communicating | Socialising

• VCASFC186

  Interpret different types of texts that involve the expression of feelings or experiences and the representation of imagined people, places and scenarios, sharing and comparing their responses to different elements

  Elaborations

  • viewing and responding to sign poetry from around the world, for example by comparing differences and similarities in ‘visual vernacular’
  • recognising how a character’s feelings and attitudes are expressed through NMFs and manner
  • evaluating Deaf performances or art forms that use technology such as camera and lighting techniques to expressive effect, for example performances by Ian Sanborn
  • describing and comparing responses to the use of colour and images by deaf artists such as Juan Fernández Navarrete or Nancy Rourke
  • identifying and profiling Deaf artists who make use of music, for example members of the Deaf Performing Arts Network
  • exploring how cultural values and the expression of identity are reflected in different forms of artistic expression, such as poetry performances by Walter Kadiki or John Wilson’s ‘Home’
  • comparing visual elements of signed media texts with those of equivalent texts produced for a hearing audience, for example, the teen drama Switched at Birth with teen dramas from BSL Zone
  • exploring the concept of metaphorical iconicity used in poems and narratives, for example by shadowing selected elements
  • analysing how elements of theatre performance such as emotional nuance are communicated through interpreters in a live setting

  VCASFC186 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Communicating | Creating

• 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

• VCASFU106

  Recognise that there is variation in in how Auslan is used depending on context, environment and influences of other signed languages

  Elaborations

  • exploring different ways to show the same concept, for example though a picture, a spoken word, a sign, a home sign or a gesture
  • exploring similarities and differences in the two main Auslan dialects, the northern dialect used in New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory, and the southern dialect used in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory, for example through building webcam relationships with other schools or by identifying and collecting signs that differ in the two forms
  • noticing different ways that English words are borrowed into Auslan, for example, the use of fully fingerspelled words, such as D-U-E, N-O-U-N, the fingerspelling of the first letter of corresponding English words, for example TOILET, FATHER, or abbreviations of English words, for example, state names: S-A, N-S-W, V-I-C, T-A-S, and organisation names: N-A-B-S, W-A-A-D, N-S-W-A-D, D-C-S-S-A, and lexicalised fingerspelling, such as HOW, BUT, ABOUT, FOR
  • noticing the variation in ‘handedness’ between signers in relation to signs and to fingerspelling: right handers using their right hand as their dominant (main) hand; left handers doing the opposite
  • considering adaptations to language use when communicating in different physical environments, such as in video chats, across a large yard, or when one or both hands are occupied, for example choice of vocabulary, size of signing space, clarity of signs, use of fingerspelling and NMFs

  VCASFU106 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | 7–10 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

• 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