The nature of the learners

This stage of learning coincides with social, physical and cognitive changes associated with adolescence. Learners at this level are developing their cognitive and social capabilities and their communicative repertoire in the language, although it is likely they are still impacted by their late access to language and possibly by other challenges. As their language develops, so does their ability to conceptualise and reason, and their memory and focus improves. They are more independent and less egocentric, enjoying both competitive and cooperative activities. Learners at this level benefit from varied, activity-based learning that builds on their interests and capabilities and makes connections with other areas of learning. The curriculum ensures that learning experiences and activities are flexible enough to cater for learner variables, while being appropriate for learners' general cognitive and social levels.

Auslan learning and use

Learners in this band engage in a range of activities that involve watching and responding to a variety of signed texts. They build proficiency through the provision of rich language input from a range of sources where grammatical forms and language features are purposefully integrated. Learners build more elaborated conversational and interactional skills, including initiating and sustaining conversations, reflecting on and responding to others’ contributions, making appropriate responses and adjustments, and engaging in debate and discussion. The language they see and sign is authentic with some modification. They follow instructions, exchange simple information and express ideas and feelings related to their personal worlds. They negotiate interactions and activities and participate in shared tasks and games.

Shared learning activities develop social, cognitive and language skills and provide a context for purposeful language experience and experimentation. Individual and group presentation and performance skills are developed through researching and organising information, structuring and resourcing presentation of content, and selecting appropriate language to engage a particular audience. Learners use ICT to support their learning in increasingly independent and intentional ways, exchanging resources and information with each other and with young people of the same age in other signing communities. They access a variety of media resources, maintain vlogs and other web pages, and participate in social networks. They view and create texts on topics relevant to their interests and enjoyment and continue to build vocabulary that relates to a wider range of domains, such as areas of the curriculum that involve some specialised language use. The language used in routine activities is re-used and reinforced from lesson to lesson in different situations, making connections between what has been learnt and what is to be learnt.

Contexts of interaction

Learners interact in Auslan with each other, their teaching team, members of their families who can sign and members of the Deaf community. They have access to Deaf visitors and cultural resources in wider contexts and communities through the use of ICT and through the media. Language development and use are incorporated into collaborative and interactive learning experiences, games and activities.

Texts and resources

Learners work with a broad range of live and digital signed texts designed for learning Auslan in school and for wider authentic use in the Deaf community. They also engage with resources prepared by their teacher, including games, performances, presentations and language exercises. They may have additional access to BANZSL resources created for the Australian, New Zealand or British Deaf communities, such as children’s television programs, websites, music or video clips. In addition, they work with texts from other signed languages that make extensive use of the ‘visual vernacular’. Learners may also have access to community facilities and functions. The Deaf community is the most important resource for learning as it is the origin of most of the texts and communicative situations that learners engage with.

Features of Auslan use

Learners at this level increasingly use conventional Auslan: lexical signs or depicting signs with conventional classifier handshapes, and rely less on their idiosyncratic systems. They learn to modify some indicating verbs for non-present referents and use constructed action to represent themselves or others in recounts. They use a range of NMFs to distinguish questions from statements or negatives, and use more cohesion when signing texts. A balance between language knowledge and language use is established by integrating focused attention to grammar, vocabulary building, and non-verbal and cultural dimensions of language use with communicative and purposeful learning activity. Learners are increasingly aware that various signed languages are used in Deaf communities across the world. As they engage consciously with differences between languages and cultures, they make comparisons and consider differences and possibilities in ways of communicating in different languages. They build metalanguage to talk about aspects of language such as nouns, verbs and constructed action.

Level of support

While learners work more independently at this level, ongoing support is incorporated into task activity and the process of learning is supported by systematic feedback and review. Form-focused activities build students’ grammatical knowledge and support the development of accuracy and control in Auslan. Opportunities to use this knowledge in meaningful activities build communicative skills, confidence and fluency. Tasks are carefully scaffolded: teachers provide models and examples; introduce language, concepts and resources needed to manage and complete learning activities; make time for experimentation and for polishing rehearsed texts; and provide support for self-monitoring and reflection. Discussion supports learning and develops students’ conceptual frame for talking about systems of language and culture. Learners are encouraged to engage more with resources such as websites, dictionaries, translating tools and other materials designed to enrich their receptive and productive language use.

The role of English

Auslan is the language of all classroom interactions, routines and activities. As these learners are in the unique position of not having acquired a first language until very late in life, time spent developing their Auslan must be maximised. While these learners are simultaneously developing English literacy skills, use of English is limited to the translating thread and to small amounts of research with source texts in simple English.