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• 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

• VCASFC001

  Communicate with teacher, peers and familiar adults in guided and free interactions that develop social and communicative skills

  Elaborations

  • interacting with others using greetings according to relationship, context and time of day, for example: HELLO, HOW-ARE-YOU? SEE LATER, GOOD MORNING M-R-J-O-N-E-S
  • asking and answering questions about families, friends, pets, routines or pastimes, for example:
    PRO2 ARRIVE SCHOOL HOW? CAR TAXI WALK G:WELL?
    How do you get to school?
    WHAT POSS2 FAVOURITE SPORT WHAT?
    What’s your favourite sport?
    POSS1 BIRTHDAY WHEN D-E-C
    My birthday is in December.
    
  • using everyday social exchanges such as thanking, apologising, expressing wishes or congratulations, for example:
    THANK-YOU HELP-_me
    Thank you for helping me.
    SORRY A-C-C
    I’m sorry, it was an accident.
    GOOD-LUCK POSS2 RACE
    Good luck for your race.
    
  • introducing themselves or a friend to class visitors, for example:
    HELLO POSS1 NAME G-A-V-I-N SIGN-NAME:GAVIN
    Hi, my name’s Gavin and this is my sign name.
    
  • supporting interaction when socialising with their peers, for example by indicating agreement or disagreement through nodding or head shaking
  • recounting personal experiences using specific time markers such as BEFORE, AFTER, LONG-TIME-AGO, YESTERDAY
  • recounting experiences shared as a class, such as excursions or special visitors, using appropriate sequencing of information
  • describing family members, friends or teachers in terms of physical appearance and characteristics, for example:
    PRINCIPAL YOU-KNOW SHORT LONG-HAIR GLASSES?
    You know the principal? She’s short, has long hair and wears glasses.
    POSS1 BROTHER OLD++ TALL SKINNY
    My brother is older; he’s tall and skinny.
    
  • comparing likes, dislikes and preferences, for example:
    PRO1 LIKE APPLE PRO1 DON’T-LIKE ORANGE
    I like apples but I don’t like oranges.
    
  • exploring different ways of expressing emotion through the use of NMFs and lexical signs, for example:
    PRO3 TEASE-_me
    She teased me.
    NOW PRO1 HAPPY BEFORE PRO1 CRANKY
    I’m happy now but before I was cranky.
    
  • sharing their opinions about classmates or classroom resources using evaluative language and superlatives, for example:
    S-A-M RUN FAST C-H-R-I-S WOW FAST SPEED
    Sam runs fast but Chris runs the fastest.
    THAT BEST COMPUTER
    That’s the best computer.
    
  • sharing information about personal experiences or recent events, using time markers that incorporate numerals, such as THREE-DAYS-AGO, NEXT-WEEK, LAST YEAR, IN-TWO-DAYS
  • referring to family members’ and classmates’ names using fingerspelling or sign names as appropriate
  • describing class activities using plain or indicating verbs, modifying the indicating verbs some of the time, for example:
    THERE SIT BOOK READ, FINISH PUT++
    Over there we sit and read books, and when we’re finished we put them away.
    PENCIL PRO1 GIVE++
    I’ll give out the pencils.
    
  • conversing with friends using appropriate turn-taking strategies
  • asking and answering questions related to time, place, number, days of the week, months and seasons, for example:
    WHY SHOULD LOOK-_left LOOK-_right BEFORE ROAD CROSS
    Why do we need to look left and right before crossing the road?
    ONE WEEK DS:length HOW-MANY DAY?
    How many days in a week?
    
  • describing relationships between members of their family or between classmates, for example:
    PRO3 POSS1 COUSIN WE2 GOOD FRIEND.
    She’s my cousin; we’re good friends.
    POSS3 FATHER PUNISH PRO3
    Her father punished her.
    

  VCASFC001 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Foundation to Level 2 | Communicating | Socialising

• Languages | Auslan: Structure

  Sequences of learning

  The Auslan curriculum takes account of different entry points into language learning across F–10, which reflects current practice in language teaching.

  There are two possible learning sequences:

  • F–10 sequence for students who begin to learn the language in primary...

  Overview material | Auslan

• VCASFC116

  Translate and interpret different types of familiar short texts, demonstrating awareness of individual interpretations of meaning

  Elaborations

  • translating the school song into Auslan with support, identifying words or phrases that do not easily translate and finding suitable equivalents in Auslan that match the English concept
  • shadowing online Auslan translations and captioning, such as the Catching Fire series of safety videos or the emergency disaster preparedness videos
  • comparing their own translations of short familiar texts with those of their classmates, noting discrepancies or variations and discussing possible reasons for these
  • observing and interacting with deaf guests to the classroom who use different signed languages, such as ASL or a traditional signed language used by deaf Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders, identifying differences between the languages and acting as interpreter with support
  • creating basic translations of song lyrics or simple poems from English to Auslan
  • translating and explaining the meaning of words or expressions associated with figurative language use in Auslan, such as train gone, sorry and comparing these to some common English idioms
  • conducting sight translations of plain, high-interest, low-readability English texts such as short news articles that are written for their age group
  • comparing existing translations in Auslan of narratives, such as fairytales or short stories, to their own ideas of how they would translate specific segments of these texts
  • explaining the role of accredited Auslan–English interpreters and that of Deaf interpreters, demonstrating through role-play correct protocols for working with interpreters

  VCASFC116 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Communicating | Translating

• VCASFU124

  Explore the concept of language flexibility, variation and change in relation to the use of Auslan across different contexts and times

  Elaborations

  • recognising that there is a greater degree of flexibility and variability in ‘oral’ languages such as Auslan that only exist in face-to-face form, compared to spoken languages that are written down and that are passed on from parents to children
  • understanding that other signed languages such as BSL, ISL and ASL have influenced Auslan over different periods of time
  • recognising that languages constantly expand to include new words, signs and expressions due to influences such as changing technologies and digital media, for example, COMPUTER, COMPUTER-MOUSE, INTERNET, FACEBOOK, WIFI, SELFIE
  • interviewing older members of Deaf families or Deaf communities and reporting back to the class about any differences in signing they noticed, such as more use of fingerspelled words, less use of NMFs and depicting signs, or the use of different signs, such as FILM (old sign), TOILET (old sign)
  • understanding that greater contact between signers internationally has led to increased borrowing between sign languages, for example, signs that refer to different nation states and cities around the globe, or the vehicle handshape in depicting signs

  VCASFU124 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding | Language variation and change

• 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

• VCASFC099

  Create different types of bilingual texts to support their classroom learning

  Elaborations

  • using images of Auslan signs and equivalent words in English to name and label familiar objects, classroom items or school resources, using posters and digital glossaries with captions
  • developing a handshape dictionary using palm cards or digital means, including equivalent English terms
  • using photos of family members to create a family tree or chart, captioning and labelling in English each family member with corresponding images of Auslan signs
  • creating bilingual texts for younger children, such as a mini Auslan–English dictionary of school-specific signs
  • making their own bilingual dictionaries with English labels, Auslan sign images and simple descriptions of signs, identifying and categorising signs according to handshape

  VCASFC099 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Communicating | Translating

• 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

• VCASFU156

  Identify the movement and location of different signs and notice how they combine with handshape to form signs, and understand that Auslan can be videoed and transcribed to assist learning

  Elaborations

  • identifying the location of a sign on the body or in space
  • noticing the five major locations of signs on the body or in space, and identifying signs associated with each, such as SEE (head/face), SAY (mouth/chin), WHY (chest), TALK (hand) and ONE (signing space)
  • recognising that handshapes must be performed in a particular orientation
  • identifying and demonstrating signs with a change in handshape, for example FIND or BEST
  • identifying and demonstrating signs with a change in orientation, for example CAN-NOT or HOW
  • understanding that NMFs can also be an element of a sign and can show emotional states such as a happy expression or grammatical information, for example, a frown to mark a negative
  • identifying single, double and two-handed signs, and recognising which hand is dominant (the pen hand) and which is non-dominant (the paper hand) within two-handed signs
  • comparing iconic signs that provide visual images of referents, such as DRINK, ELEPHANT with English words that map to the sound images of the referents, such as animal noises, or words for sounds such as bang
  • learning to film themselves and analyse the video or to read simple glosses produced by the teacher, and understanding that the English word used is often not an exact match for the meaning of the sign

  VCASFU156 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 3 and 4 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU196

  Understand that Auslan has evolved and developed through different periods of influence and cultural and societal change

  Elaborations

  • researching how BSL from the 1800s evolved into Auslan, NZSL and modern BSL, for example by finding and classifying examples from Auslan, NZSL and BSL signbanks
  • understanding that while the structure of individual signs can change over time in regular ways, there is little information about this process in signed languages due to lack of historic records of signing
  • understanding that greater contact between signers internationally has led to increased borrowing between sign languages, for example, signs that refer to different nation states and cities around the globe, for example, the old Auslan sign for America versus the current sign, or the ASL vehicle handshape in DSs
  • identifying changes to Auslan that reflect changes in social relationships and community attitudes, for example in relation to words/signs such as DEAF^DUMB, DISABILITY, HEARING^IMPAIRED/FS:HOH, DEAF^WORLD/DEAF^COMMUNITY, HUMAM^RIGHT
  • interviewing older members of Deaf families or Deaf communities and reporting back to the class about any differences in signing they noticed, such as more use of fingerspelled words, less use of NMFs and depicting signs, or the use of different signs, such as FILM (old sign), TOILET (old sign)
  • recognising that languages constantly expand to include new words, signs and expressions due to influences such as changing technologies and digital media, for example, COMPUTER, COMPUTER-MOUSE, INTERNET, FACEBOOK, WIFI, FS:PC, SELFIE

  VCASFU196 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Language variation and change

• VCASFU030

  Identify and demonstrate how the formational elements of handshape and its orientation, movement, location and non-manual features can be arranged in signs which may be iconic, and explore ways of recording Auslan

  Elaborations

  • noticing the orientation of handshapes in signs
  • identifying and demonstrating signs with a change in handshape, for example FIND or BEST
  • identifying and demonstrating signs with a change in orientation, for example CAN-NOT or HOW
  • distinguishing between single, double and two-handed signs, and identifying which hand is dominant and which is non-dominant in two-handed signs
  • thinking of body-anchored signs, such as HEAD or WHY, and signs that are not body anchored, such as HAVE or STOP and recognising that non-body anchored signs can be located in space around the signer
  • understanding that NMFs can also be an element of a sign and can show emotional states such as a happy expression or grammatical information, for example, a frown to mark a negative
  • comparing iconic signs that provide visual images of referents, such as DRINK, ELEPHANT, with English words that map to the sound images of the referents, such as animal noises, or words for sounds such as bang
  • describing how the movement changes between groups of related numbers, for example, 5, 15, 50, 5th
  • learning to film themselves and analyse the video or to read simple glosses produced by the teacher, and understanding that the English word used is often not an exact match for the meaning of the sign

  VCASFU030 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 3 and 4 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU070

  Understand that Auslan has evolved and developed through different periods of influence and cultural and societal change

  Elaborations

  • researching how BSL from the 1800s evolved into Auslan, NZSL and modern BSL, for example by finding and classifying examples from Auslan, NZSL and BSL signbanks
  • understanding that while the structure of individual signs can change over time in regular ways, there is little information about this process in signed languages due to lack of historic records of signing
  • understanding that greater contact between signers internationally has led to increased borrowing between sign languages, for example, signs that refer to different nation states and cities around the globe, for example, the old Auslan sign for America versus the current sign, or the ASL vehicle handshape in DSs
  • identifying changes to Auslan that reflect changes in social relationships and community attitudes, for example in relation to words/signs such as DEAF^DUMB, DISABILITY, HEARING^IMPAIRED/H-O-H, DEAF^WORLD/DEAF^COMMUNITY, HUMAN^RIGHT
  • interviewing older members of Deaf families or Deaf communities and reporting back to the class about any differences in signing they noticed, such as more use of fingerspelled words, less use of NMFs and depicting signs, or the use of different signs, such as FILM (old sign), TOILET (old sign)
  • recognising that languages constantly expand to include new words, signs and expressions due to influences such as changing technologies and digital media, for example, COMPUTER, COMPUTER-MOUSE, INTERNET, FACEBOOK, WIFI, SELFIE

  VCASFU070 | Languages | Auslan | First Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Language variation and change

• VCASFU250

  Understand that Auslan has evolved and developed through different periods of influence and cultural and societal change

  Elaborations

  • recognising that there is a greater degree of flexibility and variability in ‘oral’, face-to-face languages such as Auslan compared to spoken/written languages passed on from parents to children, for example, less standardisation and minimal ‘frozen texts’, and considering reasons for such differences
  • researching different aspects of variation in the use of Auslan, considering influences such as geographical location, social groupings, history, educational experience, age of learning, family background and contact with Signed English or other languages
  • considering the effect that expanding sign language interpreter services might have on standardising Auslan, especially in the areas of education and medicine
  • interviewing older members of Deaf families or Deaf communities and reporting back to the class about any differences in signing they noticed, such as more use of fingerspelled words, less use of NMFs and depicting signs, or the use of different signs, such as FILM (old sign), TOILET (old sign)
  • recognising that languages constantly expand to include new words, signs and expressions due to influences such as changing technologies and digital media, for example, COMPUTER, COMPUTER-MOUSE, INTERNET, FACEBOOK, WIFI, SELFIE
  • understanding that greater contact between signers internationally has led to increased borrowing between sign languages, for example, signs that refer to different nation states and cities around the globe (for example, the old Auslan sign for America versus the current sign), or the ASL vehicle handshape in DSs
  • identifying changes to Auslan that reflect changes in social relationships and community attitudes, for example in relation to words/signs such as DEAF^DUMB, DISABILITY, HEARING^IMPAIRED/H-O-H, DEAF^WORLD/DEAF^COMMUNITY, HUMAN^RIGHT

  VCASFU250 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding | Language variation and change

• VCASFU228

  Identify and describe all elements of sign production, including handshape and its orientation, movement, location and non-manual features, and look at the link between signs and their referents in terms of iconicity

  Elaborations

  • realising that meaning is communicated through the use of signs, pictures, written or spoken words or miming
  • identifying a sign's handshape and its orientation, for example, COCKATOO (hs:5, palm left) and SOCCER (hs:fist)
  • identifying and demonstrating signs with a change in handshape, for example FIND or BEST
  • identifying and demonstrating signs with a change in orientation, for example CAN-NOT or HOW
  • noticing the path movement of a particular sign and identifying signs associated with the major types of path movements, for example, THROUGH (forwards) or FULL (down to up)
  • noticing the five major locations of signs on the body or in space, and identifying signs associated with each, such as SEE (head/face), SAY (mouth/chin), WHY (chest), TALK (hand) and ONE (signing space)
  • thinking of body-anchored signs, such as HEAD or WHY, and signs that are not body anchored, such as HAVE or STOP, and recognising that non-body anchored signs can be located in space around the signer
  • understanding that NMFs can also be an element of a sign and can show emotional states such as a happy expression, or grammatical information, for example, a frown to mark a negative, and identifying examples of NMFs in a text
  • noticing that in a stretch of connected signing a sign will often be produced differently to the way it is shown in a dictionary
  • distinguishing between single, double and two-handed signs, and identifying which hand is dominant and which is non-dominant in two-handed signs
  • noticing that in signed languages meaning can be expressed through whole signs or through fingerspelling
  • comparing iconic signs that provide visual images of referents, such as DRINK, ELEPHANT with English words that map to the sound images of the referents, such as animal noises, or words for sounds such as bang or woof woof
  • identifying signs with different levels of iconicity, for example, those that are fully transparent, translucent or arbitrary
  • experimenting with different methods of capturing signed languages, such as: a class-invented script, drawing pictures, videoing, English glosses or ASL-phabet

  VCASFU228 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU247

  Understand that signs can include different information including a gestural overlay, and identify how signers establish spatial locations, types of depicting signs and ways of showing constructed action

  Elaborations

  • recognising that Auslan has fully-lexical signs that are in the dictionary and have a standard handshape, movement and location, and partly-lexical signs that cannot be listed in a dictionary in all forms as gesture changes the form each time they are signed
  • noticing that meaning is created in Auslan from fully-lexical signs, partly-lexical signs, non-lexical signing and gesture and comparing with the range of ways English speakers create meaning, including spoken words, modifying intonation, and gesture
  • noticing that fully- and partly-lexical signs can include grammatical information not included in a ‘citation’ form, for example, the sign TELL-_me is not listed separately to TELL (towards neutral space) and GO-TO includes GO-TO-_often
  • 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)
  • 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
  • recognising that signers must make explicit which referent is associated with a location, but do not need to continue to make this explicit throughout a text
  • recognising that signers can set up referents in the signing space close to them (viewer space, for example, using a bC handshape (use of non-dominant hand) to indicate putting a glass on a table) or distant (diagrammatic, for example, using 5claw in two locations to represent two houses)
  • recognising that in viewer space, signers can use locations for present referents, non-present referents, or abstract referents that do not exist in space
  • identifying instances of DSs and their type independently
  • comparing English adjectives with SASS DSs
  • 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

  VCASFU247 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | 7–10 Sequence | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU175

  Understand that signs can include different information, including a gestural overlay, identify types of depicting signs and how signers establish spatial locations and show constructed action

  Elaborations

  • recognising that Auslan has fully-lexical signs that are in the dictionary and have a standard handshape, movement and location, and partly-lexical signs that cannot be listed in a dictionary in all forms as they change their form each time they are signed, such as DSs
  • noticing that fully- and partly-lexical signs can include grammatical information not included in a ‘citation’ form, for example, the sign TELL-_me is not listed separately to TELL (towards neutral space) and GO-TO includes GO-TO-_often
  • identifying where a signer has established a location in space (for example, through points, non-body-anchored signs, fingerspelled words or verb movement changes)
  • recognising that signers must make explicit which referent is associated with a location
  • identifying examples of each type of DS in an Auslan text: entity DSs, handling DSs and SASS DSs
  • 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

  VCASFU175 | Languages | Auslan | Second Language Learner | F–10 Sequence | Levels 5 and 6 | Understanding | Systems of language

• VCASFU144

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

  Elaborations

  • recognising that people from different places and backgrounds may use different languages and have ways of living and communicating that differ from their own
  • appreciating that culture and cultural difference means that people may value different things or live differently, noticing observable examples of such difference, such as ways of greeting (bowing versus shaking hands) or conveying information (through words versus signs)
  • exploring how learning Auslan involves entering into a visual world or culture, for example by exploring different connections with physical space, such as being able to communicate through windows, or from a distance
  • exploring how deaf people live in ways that may be different from how hearing people live, for example by responding to stimulus questions such as How do deaf people ensure they can always see other people who are signing? How do deaf people watch movies or television programs?
  • recognising the importance of facial expression, eye gaze and NMFs in conveying information in a visual-gestural language and culture
  • recognising the importance of community and culture in relation to their own lives and communities and in relation to other language groups and their communities

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

• 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

• 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

• 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