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• VCASFC042

  Engage with different types of creative and imaginative texts by identifying important elements, discussing ideas, characters and themes and making connections with their own ideas and experience

  Elaborations

  • comparing their reactions to imaginative texts that evoke positive or negative emotional responses, making connections with experiences in their own lives that have produced similar feelings
  • participating in performance activities such as unscripted response-to-stimulus role-plays, recognising how characters’ feelings and attitudes are expressed through NMFs and manner
  • viewing and comparing expressions of Deaf experience through different visual art forms, such as painting, photography or sculpture, comparing with their own use of visual forms of expression of feelings and experience
  • drawing comparisons and making connections between their own experiences and those of fictional characters in popular television series or films
  • comparing the use of rhyme in written verse with the repetition of handshapes and movement paths in signed poetry performance
  • identifying cultural conventions of Deaf theatre, such as maintaining eye contact and positioning of characters
  • identifying key messages or values conveyed through folktales, myths or legends, for example by creating mind maps to show relationships between concepts such as courage, loyalty, love
  • describing the shape and sequence of a shared story or skit, identifying elements such as setting the scene, climax and resolution
  • considering how different modes of creative expression, such as theatre or visual arts, influence personal response to texts
  • tracking and reflecting on the experiences of deaf dancers and choreographers, for example as contestants in shows such as So You Think You Can Dance
  • viewing and responding to sign poetry from around the world, for example by comparing responses to differences and similarities in ‘visual vernacular’

  VCASFC042 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 5 and 6 | Communicating | Creating

• 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

• VCASFC183

  Participate in extended interactions by explaining and clarifying answers, responding to others’ contributions, asking follow-up questions and observing protocols in and beyond the classroom

  Elaborations

  • contributing to discussion and debate by expressing opinions, responding to others’ perspectives and using reflective language, such as:
    NEVER THOUGHT YEAH-RIGHT
    Oh yeah, I hadn’t thought of that before.
    
  • responding to signed class and school announcements with more elaborated responses, for example:
    YES I CAN COME-TO-YOU HELP BUT CAN-NOT THURS
    Yes, I can help you with that, but not on Thursday.
    
  • commenting on information provided by others to indicate or to clarify understanding, for example:
    NOD INTERESTING
    Mmm, interesting.
    TRUE WHAT ABOUT…?
    True, but what about …?
    
  • extending discussion or debate by asking follow-up questions, clarifying their own contributions or suggesting relevant comparisons
  • organising standing or seated positions and ‘signing space’ when talking to one or more people, and adjusting the physical environment to be well-lit and without glare to enable effective communication
  • adjusting styles of communication according to situation, for example, getting someone’s attention for a non-urgent matter versus an emergency situation
  • investigating appropriate ways to join or take leave of a group interacting in Auslan and following appropriate protocols in interpreting situations outside the classroom, for example in the playground
  • sharing responsibility for providing information and context for a new participant joining a conversation

  VCASFC183 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Communicating | Socialising

• VCASFC011

  Notice similarities and differences between Auslan and spoken languages in relation to ways of interacting, sharing stories and playing games

  Elaborations

  • comparing aspects of their lives as signing children with those of non-signing children represented in digital images, video clips or stories, for example, ways of playing games, telling stories or interacting at school, home and in the community
  • discussing changes or adaptations they have to make to their communicative style when interacting with non-signers

  VCASFC011 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Foundation to Level 2 | Communicating | Reflecting

• 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

• VCASFC168

  Engage with a range of creative and imaginative texts, identifying and discussing ideas and characters and making connections with their own experiences

  Elaborations

  • viewing a signed narrative text and responding by drawing a storyboard that identifies and sequences key events
  • viewing a theatre performance designed for a deaf audience and sharing their reactions to the experience of viewing a theatre performance designed for a deaf audience
  • comparing their reactions to imaginative texts that evoke positive or negative emotional responses, making connections with experiences in their own lives that have produced similar feelings
  • engaging with different examples of Deaf humour, such as Deaf jokes, and comparing them with examples of humour in spoken English or in silent films or mime
  • shadowing signed elements of theatrical or cinematographic texts that use handshapes, such as the scene with hand-faces in the film Labyrinth
  • tracking and reflecting on the experiences of deaf dancers and choreographers, for example as contestants in shows such as So You Think You Can Dance

  VCASFC168 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 5 and 6 | Communicating | Creating

• 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

• VCASFU014

  Recognise that groups of words combine to make clauses and include nouns and pronouns (people, places, things), adjectives (qualities) and verbs (happenings, states); and distinguish between statements and questions based on non-manual features

  Elaborations

  • categorising noun signs into those for people, animals, places or things
  • understanding that proper nouns can have a sign name or be fingerspelled
  • 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)
  • identifying verb signs (SIT, EAT, FEEL, WONDER, HAVE) and recognising that they are central to a clause
  • recognising that there is no verb ‘to be’ in Auslan
  • 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.
    
  • 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
  • noticing that Auslan has more flexibility in word order than English
  • distinguishing between clauses that are statements and those that are questions
  • knowing that signing involves either telling with signs or showing with DSs and periods of constructed action (CA)
    MAN WALK SLOW
    DS(point):man-walks-slowly
    CA:man-swinging-arms-nonchalantly
    

  VCASFU014 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Foundation to Level 2 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU068

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

  Elaborations

  • recognising the nature and function of word classes and understanding that the context of the sign is important and Auslan signs will not always have the same word class as an English word, for example, adjectives can act like verbs in Auslan, for example, PRO3 BIG
  • recognising that some verbs and nouns use the same sign but change the movement in a regular way making noun-verb pairs, such as SCISSORS versus CUT-WITH-SCISSORS
  • being able to describe various types of clauses and recognising that these often co-occur with particular NMFs, such as questions, topicalised sentences, negation or conditionals
  • analysing yes/no questions and wh- questions to identify how NMFs and particular lexical signs are used to make each type of question
  • recognising how NMFs can create emphasis or stress
  • recognising that clauses can be joined by conjunctions to make longer sentences and these conjunctions can be shown with separate signs, such as PLUS or THEN, or NMFs, for example by pausing between clauses
  • noticing with support, when signers are using composite utterances, that is, those that have elements of CA, DSs, points and DSs, and fully-lexical signs in the same utterance
  • identifying clauses that are linked equally and unequally, where one clause depends on another

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

• VCASFU142

  Understand that all languages including signed languages vary and borrow words and signs from each other

  Elaborations

  • understanding that there are two main Auslan dialects: the southern dialect used in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory; and the northern dialect used in New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory
  • viewing videoed examples of Auslan signers from different parts of Australia, identifying the different signs used in southern and northern dialects, for example, signs for colours and some numbers
  • noticing that words such as proper nouns for names of people, places or schools are borrowed from English by fingerspelling and mouthing, but some also have sign names
  • recognising that Auslan borrows from other languages just as English does, and collecting words and signs used in their everyday lives that come from different signed and spoken languages
  • noticing the variation in ‘handedness’ between signers in relation to signs and fingerspelling: right handers using their right hand as their dominant (main) hand; left handers doing the opposite

  VCASFU142 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Foundation to Level 2 | Understanding | Language variation and change

• 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

• 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

• 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

• VCASFU016

  Understand that all languages including signed languages vary and borrow words and signs from each other

  Elaborations

  • understanding that there are two main Auslan dialects: the southern dialect used in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania and the northern dialect used in New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory
  • viewing videoed examples of Auslan signers from different parts of Australia, identifying the different signs used in southern and northern dialects, for example, signs for colours and some numbers
  • noticing that words such as proper nouns for names of people, places or schools are borrowed from English by fingerspelling and mouthing, but some also have sign names
  • recognising that Auslan borrows from other languages just as English does, and collecting words and signs used in their everyday lives that come from different signed and spoken languages
  • noticing the variation in ‘handedness’ between signers in relation to signs and fingerspelling: right handers using their right hand as their dominant (main) hand; left handers doing the opposite

  VCASFU016 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Foundation to Level 2 | Understanding | Language variation and change

• 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

• VCASFU036

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

  Elaborations

  • exploring culture as an essential part of human life, understanding that it is shared and passed on between generations and is closely connected to language and to 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 how these understandings apply to themselves as users of Auslan and members of the Deaf community
  • 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
  • recognising that language reflects values and beliefs, such as in expressions of personal identity or in the recognition of others (sameness and difference), for example by identifying deaf family members as part of introductions, and by relaying cultural information about background and context and shared knowledge when interacting with others
  • appreciating the social and cultural nature of deaf humour in a visual language

  VCASFU036 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 3 and 4 | Understanding | Role of language and culture

• 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

• VCASFU162

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

  Elaborations

  • exploring culture as an essential part of human life, understanding that it is shared, passed on between generations and is closely connected to language and to 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 how this understanding applies to themselves as users of their first language and as learners 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
  • recognising that language reflects values and beliefs, for example in expressions of personal identity or in the recognition of others (sameness and difference), for example by identifying deaf family members as part of introductions, and by relaying cultural information about background and context and shared knowledge when interacting with others

  VCASFU162 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 3 and 4 | Understanding | Role of language and culture