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Result list

• VCASFC076

  Research and evaluate information from different sources and perspectives, summarising opinions and critically appraising relationships between texts and contexts

  Elaborations

  • evaluating information collected from different sources to debate issues of interest and significance to the Deaf community, such as eugenics, deaf technology or interpreter ethics
  • using critical literacy skills to recognise textual bias and to distinguish between fact and opinion in differently sourced texts relating to the Deaf community and/or deafness
  • researching a significant event that affects/has affected the Deaf community, summarising findings in the form of contributions to a panel discussion or debate
  • evaluating information presented by their peers or teachers, providing constructive feedback supported by evidence
  • appraising and summarising opinions expressed in formally and informally signed texts
  • using stories by elders and excursions to sites of significance to document, describe and provide explanatory detail of places of importance to the Deaf community
  • using primary or secondary signed sources to research significant events in Deaf history to present a critical overview of how information can be differently presented

  VCASFC076 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Communicating | Informing

• VCASFC083

  Reflect on the experience of learning and using Auslan formally in school, and considering how intercultural communication involves shared responsibility for making meaning

  Elaborations

  • reflecting and reporting on how learning Auslan formally in school provides insights into the general nature of language and culture as well as an explicit means of interpreting the world in which they live
  • considering the relationship that exists between language, culture and issues of access and identity, and the significance of issues of discrimination, inclusion and exclusion
  • keeping a journal of experiences (humorous, satisfying or challenging) associated with using Auslan in school and in wider community contexts, noting changes in their responses and reflections over time and comparing insights gained through interactions with other languages and cultures
  • considering the layers of intercultural complexity and depth in the Deaf community, for example in relation to the insider/outsider concept or the role of deaf members of deaf families, and reflecting on their own position within such frameworks
  • sharing and comparing cultural and intercultural experiences and capabilities in different signed and spoken/written languages including Auslan, and identifying benefits of using more than one language, such as a larger repertoire of communication strategies, additional insights and perspectives, opportunities for new experiences
  • reflecting on their experience of living and communicating in a visual world and on particular challenges and benefits they have experienced
  • discussing how intercultural communication is a two-way process which involves shared responsibility for meaning-making and ensuring understanding

  VCASFC083 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Communicating | Reflecting

• VCASFC208

  Recognise the complex and multifaceted nature of identity and how exploration of cultural identity in relation to a different language can provide insights and different perspectives to a first culture and language

  Elaborations

  • using photographs or digital images to create stories using elements of identity such as gender, ethnicity, social justice, disability or difference
  • reflecting on a range of filmed texts to identify examples of inclusive or exclusionary language that might impact on a person’s sense of identity, for example, the representation of deaf teenagers in the TV program Switched at Birth or the documentaries Welcome 2 My Deaf World or Deaf Teens: Hearing World, comparing these representations to their own experiences as teenagers
  • viewing and evaluating documentaries such as Audism Unveiled or commentaries by well-known members of the Deaf community on their sense of identity development in relation to growing up deaf, considering the impact of additional factors in individual stories, such as gender or race
  • creating vlogs or filmed texts to explore aspects of Deaf/hearing identity and to encourage consideration of common views among hearing communities on Auslan and the Deaf community and to reflect on what it means to be deaf, hard of hearing or hearing
  • viewing signed news and other media texts, such as episodes of See Hear or SignPost, to identify examples of discrimination, oppression or rejection experienced by deaf people, and considering how these may shape identity or affect societal perceptions of the Deaf community
  • surveying deaf people about their perspectives on the significance of Deaf places that contribute to a shared sense of identity, for example, the Deaf Club, Deaf schools or sites of historic significance such as original Deaf Society/Mission buildings or other former meeting places
  • making comparisons between different international Deaf communities in relation to perceptions/representations of Deaf identity and changing values of place and space, for example, the loss of Deaf clubs or closure of deaf schools, considering the implications of such changes on the development of Deaf identity
  • analysing notions of ‘Deaf gain’, Deafhood and audism, and sharing their response to these concepts as second language learners of Auslan

  VCASFC208 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Communicating | Identity

• VCASFC200

  Engage in activities that involve interactions, transactions, negotiations and management of different opinions and social/cultural behaviours

  Elaborations

  • managing shared learning experiences that involve differences in opinion or cultural perspectives
  • navigating multistep directions and decisions in learning activities that offer alternatives or choices, such as computer programming or theatre production
  • negotiating hypothetical scenarios involving members of the Deaf community to highlight issues associated with diversity, culture and identity, for example, experience in domains such as education or sport
  • planning and promoting cultural events such as Deaf festivals or the National Week of Deaf People
  • planning action on an issue affecting the Deaf community, such as captioning and funding support for Deaf organisations
  • organising real or simulated transactions that involve financial or service exchanges, for example, catering for a class celebration or ordering books/digital resources for the school library

  VCASFC200 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Communicating | Socialising

• VCASFC236

  Engage in various collaborative tasks that involve making decisions, solving problems and evaluating progress

  Elaborations

  • participating in visits to a Deaf club or organisation and sharing responsibility for individual elements of a report that highlights key features of the experience
  • working with peers to solve problems, such as how to use video editing and/or captioning programs
  • working with a team to plan a fundraising event or a promotional display for Auslan at an open day/night and evaluating the experience to improve subsequent planning and organisation
  • assuming the role of a chairperson managing a small group discussion and conducting decision-making processes
  • contributing to the solving of hypothetical scenarios using conditionals, for example designing questions for a job interview such as:
    PRETEND SOMEONE DS:one-person-approach-other BLAST, PRO2 D-O WHAT?
    Pretend someone approaches you and tells you off; what will you do?
    I-F PRO2 BOSS PRO2 WILL CHANGE WHAT?
    What would you change if you were boss?

  VCASFC236 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Communicating | Socialising

• VCASFC115

  Create or adapt imaginative texts and live or filmed expressive performances that involve imagined experiences and feature different characters, amusing experiences or special effects

  Elaborations

  • participating in games and activities that focus on depicting the appearance and characteristics of people, animals or objects and their relationships
  • working collaboratively to create and present signed skits to entertain a targeted audience
  • re-enacting individual short stories or wordless animations that include two or more characters and their interactions through the use of constructed action
  • reinterpreting creative texts for effect, for example by changing emotions or movements through the use of NMFs and manner
  • using ‘visual vernacular’ to enact short scenarios involving imaginary characters, contexts and objects, by employing a range of depicting signs and constructed action
  • choreographing and performing a creative text (dance, signed song, poem), incorporating Auslan and focusing on matching timing, beat and rhythm
  • performing stories for a live audience with a focus on the visual communication of emotion and humour
  • creating the next scene, a new character or an alternative ending for a signed fable, short story or cartoon
  • creating original handshape poetry to present at a school assembly or community festival
  • creating a video record of an imagined formal or informal interview, incorporating elements of humour or tension and building character and mood through the use of NMFs and pauses

  VCASFC115 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Communicating | Creating

• VCASFC245

  Reflect on the experience of learning and using Auslan and how the experience is influenced by their own languages and cultures, and consider how intercultural communication involves shared responsibility for making meaning

  Elaborations

  • reflecting on how learning Auslan provides a distinctive and additional means of understanding the world in which they live and the relationship that exists between language, culture and identity
  • considering issues of access, identity and audism, and also issues of discrimination, inclusion and exclusion in respect to different language and cultural communities
  • keeping a journal of experiences (humorous, satisfying or challenging) associated with learning and using Auslan in various contexts, noting changes in their personal responses and reflections over time, and comparing insights gained into their own languages and cultures
  • analysing their own cultural assumptions prior to learning Auslan, and considering if these have changed through the learning experience
  • reflecting on similarities and differences between spoken language and signed language users, for example when joining interactions, taking turns, using name signs or passing between people who are communicating with each other
  • reflecting on the labels deaf and hearing, considering what these mean to different people and their implications in terms of status, access, opportunity and privilege
  • exploring the concepts of insider and outsider views of the Deaf community and their own position in relation to these terms as second language learners of Auslan
  • considering how intercultural communication is a two-way process which involves shared responsibility for making meaning and for ensuring understanding

  VCASFC245 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Communicating | Reflecting

• VCASFC202

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

  Elaborations

  • summarising key ideas/information provided by a guest speaker and identifying how context and culture shape opinions and perspectives
  • reviewing signed texts about a social or cultural issue of relevance to their peer group, and creating questions to prompt evaluative responses from their peers
  • finding information from a variety of signed sources to inform class discussions on issues of current debate within the Deaf community, such as the medical versus cultural view of deafness
  • researching and comparing signed information about significant movements associated with deaf rights across different times and contexts, such as the Milan Congress and Deaf President Now
  • identifying excerpts of signed documentaries or signed interviews or speeches that demonstrate how culture and context affect the presentation of information
  • critically analysing information contained in different signed texts produced by or about the Deaf community, identifying examples of bias and distinguishing between fact and opinion
  • researching information related to topical events or issues that affect the Deaf community, for example the provision of captions across different media

  VCASFC202 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Communicating | Informing

• VCASFC118

  Identify and analyse ways in which deaf people behave and relate within society as a distinct social group as ‘people of the eye’, demonstrate responsibility for connections between the Deaf community and the wider ‘hearing’ society, and for culturally rich and appropriate places and spaces

  Elaborations

  • using a vlog journal entry to discuss how having peers who share the same language provides a social bond and builds confidence
  • identifying characteristics of deaf people’s visual awareness, such as good observation of body language and heightened alertness to hazards in the environment while walking/driving and signing
  • comparing strategies used by deaf and hearing adults to negotiate physical environments, for example, different behaviours at a bank of lifts, identifying how deaf people draw on additional perceptual resources in ways hearing people are unaware of
  • exploring technologies used by deaf people to communicate visually, such as videoconferencing apps, to support social networks and to strengthen a sense of individual or shared identity
  • investigating ways in which a sense of confidence in relation to identity influences awareness and a capacity for advocacy for Deaf rights, for example in relation to issues such as the provision of interpreters or captioning
  • discussing how their sense of identity may shift according to context and situation, and how as people mature they learn to manage ‘multiple identities’ in relation to different elements of experience, such as background ethnicity and culture and Deaf identity culture
  • identifying strategies used by deaf people to negotiate the hearing world, such as travelling with paper and pen or smart phone to take notes
  • using the concept of Deafhood to map and communicate their own journeys of identity development, for example, their identification with particular Deaf role models, and considering the role identity plays in contributing to individual, peer group and community health and wellbeing
  • engaging with deaf visitors from different groups and backgrounds about their experiences in the Deaf community, for example by interviewing the visitors and recording their responses
  • using drawings, photos or presentations to describe characteristic features of Deaf spaces beyond the classroom, such as removal of visual obstacles to signed communication, circles or semicircles for meeting and learning spaces, open-plan areas, lighting and window placement to maximise visual access to information
  • documenting and discussing places of importance to the Deaf community, such as Deaf schools, and understanding the value of these based on stories by elders and excursions to sites of significance
  • responding to elders' guidance on how cultural values, beliefs and traditions are connected through shared life experience and visual ways of being, and how they are demonstrated in community behaviour and interactions with the wider community
  • describing ways in which they can take responsibility for increasing others’ awareness of their communication and learning preferences, for example in the classroom and with extended family
  • exploring the concept of ‘Deaf gain’ and identifying examples of how wider society may ‘gain’ from the Deaf community, for example, benefits of captioning for other sectors of the broader community, such as elderly people or newly arrived migrants
  • discussing their sense of responsibility for each other as members of the Deaf community, and the need to support younger deaf individuals in the community

  VCASFC118 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Communicating | Identity

• 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

• VCASFC075

  Engage proactively in language learning experiences through discussion, justification of opinions and reflection on the experience of learning and using Auslan

  Elaborations

  • participating in discussion and debate, clarifying and interrogating ideas, developing and supporting arguments, sharing and evaluating information, experiences and opinions
  • making connections between their own and each other’s ideas or beliefs and real-life experiences and consequences, using reflections such as:
    SOMETIMES POSSIBLE HAPPEN++ WHY I-F PRO2 PAST THINK-ABOUT WILL TRUE HAPPEN
    Sometimes things happen because you think they will, so it comes true.
    I-F YOU THINK PRO2 CAN PRO2 CAN. IF PRO2 THINK YOU CAN’T YOU CAN’T.
    If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you can’t.
    
  • comparing opinions about culturally appropriate behaviours when engaging with unfamiliar members of the Deaf community
  • using skills such as paraphrasing, questioning, interpreting non-verbal cues and appropriate vocabulary selection to support elaborated discussion
  • discussing and experimenting with ways to strengthen and refine signed texts to entertain, inform, persuade or inspire different audiences
  • exchanging reflections on the experience of using Auslan in different contexts and situations, comparing challenges or satisfactions and reflecting on how the same event can be differently experienced or interpreted

  VCASFC075 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Communicating | Socialising

• VCASFU213

  Explore the relationship between particular text types, audience, purpose and context and analyse language features used by signers to create cohesion and achieve the purpose of the text

  Elaborations

  • analysing specific types of text by identifying characteristic language features
  • analysing a videoed class debate to see how language is used to justify opinions and persuade others
  • conducting an in-depth analysis of a selected sign text, taking into account audience, purpose and topic to explain language choices made by the signer
  • noticing how grammatical choices can shade meaning, determine perspective and establish relationship, for example the effect of choosing to be more or less English-like
  • expanding understanding of textual conventions, for example by explaining why signers choose alternatives to actor-verb-undergoer in a real text to topicalise an important point
  • noticing how signers can compare or contrast ideas by locating things in the same or opposing sides of signing space
  • analysing the ways in which Auslan uses NMFs to link clauses and achieve textual cohesion

  VCASFU213 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU123

  Explore the relationship between particular text types, audience, purpose and context and analyse language features used by signers to create cohesion and achieve the purpose of the text

  Elaborations

  • identifying differences in different types of texts, for example by looking at a monologic recount compared to a dialogic one, and noticing differences such as the use of back-channels or hesitations
  • conducting an analysis of a selected sign text, taking into account audience, purpose and topic to explain language choices made by the signer
  • noticing how signers can compare or contrast ideas by locating things in the same or opposing sides of signing space
  • noticing how signers achieve textual cohesion and coherence through the use of connectives that create links between clauses, for example BUT and G:WELL
  • identifying where signers have established referents in locations in a text and noticing how this helps the audience to recognise who or what the referents are (actor and undergoer)
  • noticing how signers construct cohesive and coherent texts through the use of text connectives such as lexical signs NEXT or G:WELL or NMFs and pausing

  VCASFU123 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU251

  Understand the range of factors that influence the profile, diversity and distribution of Auslan use in the wider Australian society, and consider the concept of Auslan vitality in comparison with other spoken and signed languages used around the world

  Elaborations

  • understanding that strong and healthy languages are those used by many people across generations in most domains to communicate about most topics
  • mapping the distribution of Auslan users across Australian states and demographics, using data from censuses and other sources to present findings in graph/visual representation forms
  • describing the role religion has played in influencing the usage and spread of Auslan, for example, through religious orders, early Deaf Societies and Bible translation projects
  • considering the impact of historical international events such as the Milan Congress (1880) and the linguistic recognition and documentation of signed languages in the1960s and 1970s on the use of signed languages in education, and on deaf people’s feelings of ownership and pride in their languages
  • analysing the impact of migration and the settlement of deaf people from the UK and other countries 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
  • exploring how Auslan is used by deafblind people and their role in the Deaf community
  • investigating historical patterns of employment of deaf people in certain trades and fields of employment, and the impact these traditional domains have on the development of Auslan
  • reflecting on the role of Auslan interpreters in raising awareness and understanding of Auslan in the wider community, and considering ways in which they influence the function and nature of Auslan, for example by the introduction of neologisms
  • identifying language documentation as an important way of recording, transmitting and maintaining the vitality of languages
  • recognising that some languages have no written form and have historically been passed on face to face/orally, and so are less well recorded and documented
  • 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 that languages may be perceived as ‘weak’ or ‘strong’ based on community values and the existence of documentation and literature in the language
  • exploring the vitality of different languages by obtaining information from the UNESCO interactive online atlas and/or Ethnologue to compare numbers of speakers/signers of different languages
  • considering ways that Auslan is evolving due to various influences, including the capacity for new technologies to store, record and share sign languages internationally
  • exploring the role of globalisation in terms of what technology offers signed languages in terms of maintaining their vitality, for example, the use of ELAN for capturing and documenting Auslan
  • understanding the importance of advocating for Deaf rights to address existing gaps in services, for example in relation to issues such as the increased provision of Auslan interpreters, Deaf interpreters or captioning
  • responding to Deaf elders' guidance on how cultural values, beliefs and traditions are connected through shared life experience, language and visual ways of being, and how they are demonstrated in community behaviour and interactions with the wider community
  • comparing strategies used by deaf and hearing adults to negotiate physical environments, for example, different behaviours at a bank of lifts, and identifying how deaf people draw on additional perceptual resources in ways hearing people are unaware of
  • exploring technologies such as videoconferencing apps used by deaf people to communicate visually, to support social networks, to strengthen a sense of individual or shared identity as sign language users and to promote language vitality
  • considering likely contemporary influences or pressures on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander signed languages and the possible impact on their future
  • understanding how and why some deaf children face challenges with communication in hearing families or in social settings
  • recognising the important role of deaf families and deaf schools in preserving and maintaining Auslan and cultural identity
  • identifying behaviours, rights, roles and responsibilities in relation to the ownership and maintenance of Auslan and how such ownership rests with the Deaf community and is determined by traditional social groupings/families, significant places, history and stories
  • 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
  • discussing the diversity of Auslan users in the Australian community, including people who are deaf, those who are hard of hearing and hearing people such as CODAs and interpreters
  • identifying examples of deaf people who have been recognised for different reasons in wider Australian society, for example, Alastair McEwin or Drisana Levitzke-Gray, and discussing how such recognition contributes to broader awareness of Auslan in Australia
  • researching the status and recognition of signed languages in other countries, for example, New Zealand, the USA, the UK or the Scandinavian nations, considering issues such as language rights, language documentation and development efforts
  • identifying the changing status of significant sites in different international Deaf communities, for example, the loss of Deaf clubs or the closure of deaf schools in some countries, comparing this to the Australian context and reflecting on how such changes impact over time on Deaf communities and on Auslan
  • recognising different philosophical and social views about deafness, considering the impact of varying attitudes on a deaf person’s understanding of their rights and how they are represented and perceived in wider society

  VCASFU251 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding | Language awareness

• VCASFU086

  Understand the difference between main and subordinate clauses and how the inclusion of constructed action and depicting signs has an impact on clause structure

  Elaborations

  • understanding that verbs can be either auxiliary (CAN JUMP or TRY REACH) or main verbs (WORK)
  • noticing how to use modal verbs and NMFs to express possibility, obligation and ability (MIGHT, SHOULD)
  • understanding the difference between definite and indefinite reference and how Auslan makes this distinction
  • recognising the function of some signs as interjections or discourse markers
  • recognising that conditionals 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

  VCASFU086 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU087

  Understand the interrelationship between text types, linguistic features, cohesive devices, audience, context and purpose

  Elaborations

  • analysing expository texts, identifying characteristic language elements and features
  • analysing a videoed class debate to identify how language is used to justify opinions and persuade others
  • analysing an Auslan text in depth, for example by identifying characteristic features of the particular text type and discussing how language choices are made to take account of a text’s intended audience and purpose
  • noticing how grammatical choices shade meaning, reflect perspective and establish relationship between text participants, for example choosing to be more or less English-like in a particular context or relationship
  • noticing how signers can compare or contrast ideas by locating things in the same or opposing sides of signing space
  • applying knowledge of ellipsis to achieve cohesion

  VCASFU087 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU252

  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 adults in the Deaf community
  • exploring the nature and effect of culture, for example by comparing the cultural concept of Deaf identity with a medical model of deafness
  • analysing and discussing core cultural concepts reflected in Auslan, such as the collective nature of the Deaf community, respect for elders, the importance of reciprocity and responsibility, for example, the signing TAP-2h++ reflects the responsibility to share information and pass on knowledge
  • understanding that knowledge about past and present Deaf people and cultural values are 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 cultural differences between the use of personal names in Auslan and in their own background language, 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, 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 events in the Deaf community, such as NWDP, as celebrations of language, history, culture and identity
  • recognising that Auslan signs change over time due to shifting cultural values and changing 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
  • reflecting on the ways that culture is interpreted by others, for example by identifying how stereotypes about deaf and hearing people influence perceptions
  • 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
  • observing that concepts may be culture and language specific, for example in relation to time and space, as in the spatial mapping of timelines in Auslan

  VCASFU252 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding | Role of language and culture

• 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

• VCASFU249

  Explore the relationship between particular text types, audience, purpose and context and analyse language features used by signers to create cohesion and achieve the purpose of the text

  Elaborations

  • analysing a videoed class debate to see how language is used to justify opinions and to persuade others
  • conducting an in-depth analysis of a selected sign text, taking into account audience, purpose and topic to explain language choices made by the signer
  • expanding understanding of textual conventions, for example by explaining why signers choose alternatives to actor-verb-undergoer in a real text to topicalise the important point
  • noticing how signers can compare or contrast ideas by locating things in the same or opposing sides of signing space
  • noticing how signers construct cohesive and coherent texts through the use of text connectives such as lexical signs THEN or G:WELL or NMFs and pausing
  • identifying all the ways a signer refers to the same referent throughout a text to create cohesion

  VCASFU249 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding | Systems of language

• 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