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• VCASFU197

  Understand historical and contemporary factors that impact on awareness, support and use of Auslan and its vitality in contemporary Australia, comparing it with that of other signed languages around the world

  Elaborations

  • considering the impact of international historical events such as the Milan Congress (1880) and the linguistic recognition and documentation of signed languages (1960s and 1970s) on the use of signed languages in education and deaf people’s feelings of ownership and pride in their languages
  • analysing the impact of migration and settlement of deaf people from the UK and other countries in Australia, on the development of Auslan
  • investigating the geographical location, origins and history of deaf schools in Australia and the impact of these institutions on the transmission, use and status of Auslan
  • considering the contemporary influences and pressures on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander signed languages and how these may affect their vitality
  • describing the role religion has played in influencing Auslan in terms of usage and spread, for example, by religious orders, early Deaf Societies and Bible translation projects
  • exploring the history and acceptance of signed languages and Deaf community and culture around the world, for example by creating a timeline or a research poster
  • exploring multilingualism in the Deaf community, including the use of Auslan, English and other signed and spoken languages such as Irish-Australian sign language, and how and when users typically switch between languages and dialects
  • investigating the use and impact of generic digital technology and specific forms of communication by Auslan users, for example, video chat, social media, SMS/texting, and NRS and VRS
  • reflecting on the role of Auslan interpreters in raising awareness and understanding of Auslan in the wider community and in influencing the function and nature of Auslan, for example by the introduction of new signs for temporary use in certain contexts
  • exploring the role of deafblind people in the Deaf community
  • investigating historical patterns of employment of deaf people in certain trades and fields of work, and the impact of these traditional employment domains on Auslan development
  • considering ways that Auslan is evolving due to influences such as globalisation and the capacity for new technology to store, record and share sign languages internationally
  • comparing levels of endangerment of different sign languages, such as NZSL, village sign languages, ASL, Scandinavian, South American sign languages and Auslan, for example by using UNESCO data by reviewing the iSLanDS survey findings
  • understanding the challenges faced by Auslan and other signed languages due to intergenerational disjunction in language transmission
  • investigating how new or specialised language associated with domains such as technology, engineering, cooking or fashion are used but not documented in the Deaf community, and how such language impacts on language vitality
  • identifying contexts and circumstances that support increased usage and acceptance of newly coined Auslan terms, for example, a workplace with several deaf employees
  • recognising reasons for the shared sense of identity of sign language users and the notion of reciprocity in the Deaf community
  • researching the role of the World Federation of the Deaf in mapping and monitoring the vitality of sign languages around the world and in protecting sign language diversity
  • analysing ways in which Deaf people design and adapt spaces in cultural ways (‘Deaf space’) in order to use a visual language, for example, by eliminating visual obstacles to signed communication; using circles or semicircles for meeting and learning spaces; and using open-plan areas, lighting and window placement to maximise visual access to information, with reference to Gallaudet University’s Deaf space design principles

  VCASFU197 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Language awareness

• 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

• 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

• VCASFU140

  Recognise that groups of words are combined to make a clause and that Auslan has word classes such as nouns, adjectives or verbs, and distinguish between statements and questions

  Elaborations

  • categorising noun signs into those for people, animals, places or things
  • learning 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
  • noticing there is no equivalent of the verb ‘to be’ in Auslan, which is a significant difference to English
  • 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 in English
  • distinguishing between clauses that are statements and those that are questions

  VCASFU140 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Foundation to Level 2 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU013

  Recognise that signing happens in a finite space that can be used meaningfully within individual signs, learning in particular how depicting signs, some verbs, pronouns and enacting make use of spatial relationships

  Elaborations

  • realising that meaning is communicated through the use of signs, pictures, written or spoken words or miming
  • describing the range of signing space in normal signed discourse
  • noticing that single-digit numbers can be separate lexical items or merged into other signs (numeral incorporation) such as those for ages (for example, 5-YEARS-OLD) or adverbs of time (for example, 3-WEEKS-AGO) or pronouns (WE3, WE4)
  • noticing that Auslan pronouns are different from English ones because they 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)
  • 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 sort 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

  VCASFU013 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Foundation to Level 2 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU018

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

  Elaborations

  • recognising that people from different places and backgrounds may use different languages and have ways of living and communicating that differ from their own
  • appreciating that culture and cultural difference means that people may value different things or live differently, and noticing observable examples of such difference, such as ways of greeting (bowing versus shaking hands) or conveying information (through words versus signs)
  • exploring how hearing people live in ways that may be different from how deaf people live, for example by responding to stimuli such as: Compare how deaf and hearing people know someone is at the front door. or How do deaf and hearing people wake up 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
  • recognising the importance of language, community and culture in relation to their own lives and in relation to other language groups and their communities
  • considering how some spaces make deaf people feel comfortable, for example, contexts where distance between signers allows for easy visual access

  VCASFU018 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Foundation to Level 2 | Understanding | Role of language and culture

• 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

• 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

• VCASFU034

  Recognise that there is variation in Auslan use, for example in different locations or physical environments

  Elaborations

  • exploring similarities and differences in Auslan dialects through building webcam relationships with other schools or through identifying and collecting signs that differ in the ‘northern’ (NSW, Qld and ACT) and ‘southern’ (Vic., SA, WA, NT and Tas.) dialects, such as DINNER or AFTERNOON
  • recognising that variation also occurs in spoken languages and noticing some different words for the same thing in English, such as cossie/cozzie, togs or bathers
  • identifying Auslan signs or informal home signs that might be different from signs used by other people
  • considering adaptations to Auslan 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, variations in vocabulary, size of signing space, clarity of signs, use of fingerspelling and NMFs
  • recognising variation in adaptation of signing between different users of Auslan, for example, people who are deafblind use hand-over-hand signing and tactile fingerspelling

  VCASFU034 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 3 and 4 | Understanding | Language variation and change

• 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

• VCASFU049

  Identify different types of verbs based on their ability to integrate space into the sign, and recognise types of depiction available to a signer, namely, entity, handling and SASS depicting signs and constructed action

  Elaborations

  • identifying where and how a signer has established a location in space, for example through the use of points, non-body-anchored signs or fingerspelled words
  • distinguishing, with support, between directional and locational indicating verbs, and noticing that verbs differ depending on whether modification of movement happens at the start, end or start and end of a sign
  • 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
  • learning that the function of CA is to represent the words, thoughts or actions of a protagonist in a text, either themselves or another
  • knowing that in CA a signer can shift into the role of another, or themselves at a different time, through eye gaze change, body shift, head orientation change, and matching facial expressions

  VCASFU049 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 5 and 6 | Understanding | Systems of language

• 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

• VCASFU139

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

  Elaborations

  • describing the range of signing space in normal signed discourse
  • comparing and contrasting Auslan and English pronouns
  • noticing that the beginning and end locations of some verbs can be modified to show the referents involved, for example:
    PRO1 ASK PRO3 versus PRO1 ASK-_her
    
  • identifying what sorts of things can be represented in a DS by handshape, for example, point can mean a person or tree or pole

  VCASFU139 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Foundation to Level 2 | Understanding | Systems of language

• 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

• VCASFU071

  Understand historical and contemporary factors that impact on awareness, support and use of Auslan and its vitality in contemporary Australia, comparing it with that of other signed languages around the world

  Elaborations

  • considering the impact of international historical events such as the Milan Congress (1880) and the linguistic recognition and documentation of signed languages (1960s and 1970s) on the use of signed languages in education and deaf people’s feelings of ownership and pride in their languages
  • analysing the impact of migration and settlement of deaf people from the UK and other countries in Australia on the development of Auslan
  • investigating the geographical location, origins and history of deaf schools in Australia and the impact of these institutions on the transmission, use and status of Auslan
  • considering the contemporary influences and pressures on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander signed languages and how these may affect their vitality
  • describing the role religion has played in influencing Auslan in terms of usage and spread, for example, by religious orders, early Deaf Societies and Bible translation projects
  • exploring multilingualism in the Deaf community, including the use of Auslan, English and other signed and spoken languages such as Irish-Australian sign language, and how and when users typically switch between languages and dialects
  • investigating the use and impact of generic digital technology and specific forms of communication by Auslan users, for example, video chat, social media, SMS/texting, and NRS and VRS
  • reflecting on the role of Auslan interpreters in raising awareness and understanding of Auslan in the wider community and in influencing the function and nature of Auslan, for example by the introduction of new signs for temporary use in certain contexts
  • investigating historical patterns of employment of deaf people in certain trades and fields of work, and the impact of these traditional employment domains on Auslan development
  • considering ways that Auslan is evolving due to influences such as globalisation and the capacity for new technology to store, record and share sign languages internationally
  • comparing levels of endangerment of different sign languages, such as NZSL, village sign languages, ASL, Scandinavian, South American sign languages and Auslan, for example by using UNESCO data by reviewing the iSLanDS survey findings
  • understanding the challenges faced by Auslan and other signed languages due to intergenerational disjunction in language transmission
  • investigating how new or specialised language associated with domains such as technology, engineering, cooking or fashion are used but not documented in the Deaf community, and how such language impacts on language vitality
  • identifying contexts and circumstances that support increased usage and acceptance of newly coined Auslan terms, for example, a workplace with several deaf employees
  • researching the role of the World Federation of the Deaf in mapping and monitoring the vitality of sign languages around the world and in protecting sign language diversity

  VCASFU071 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Language awareness

• VCASFU212

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

  Elaborations

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

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

• 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

• VCASFU180

  Reflect on how communities’ ways of using languages are shaped by, reflect and strengthen cultural values and beliefs and how these may be differently interpreted by users of other languages

  Elaborations

  • explaining the role of Auslan and Deaf culture in maintaining, reflecting and strengthening the Deaf community and its networks and significant places
  • understanding that knowledge about past and present Deaf people and cultural experience and values is embodied in and transmitted through Auslan, for example ways of producing the sign for SIGN reflect cultural values placed on fluency
  • identifying the cultural importance of elements of communication such as the use of signing space and proxemics by Auslan users, particularly in relation to a person passing between two signers, or to the positioning of communication partners
  • identifying cultural differences in the use of personal names in Auslan and their own background language, such as the fact that Auslan signers do not use a person’s name sign when addressing them directly as do users of many spoken languages
  • recognising that different types of expressive and imaginative performance in Auslan carry cultural as well as linguistic information, for example, a film or theatrical performance that represents typical miscommunication experiences between deaf and hearing people
  • reflecting on the ways 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 not the same as in hearing people’s experience

  VCASFU180 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 5 and 6 | Understanding | Role of language and culture

• 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