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FL 3-4 Content Descriptions - Communicating meaning in Auslan

Content Descriptions

Interacting in Auslan

initiate exchanges and respond to questions about self, others and the classroom environment, using modelled and familiar expressions

AC9L1AU4C01

  • encouraging and praising each other using phrases such as

    GOOD WORK, EXCELLENT TRY, CONGRATULATIONS PRO2 WON, LUCKY/GOOD-LUCK, UNLUCKY/BAD-LUCK

    good work, excellent try, congratulations that you won, lucky/good luck, unlucky/bad luck

  • discussing preferences spontaneously in relation to school or general activities, using comparative language, for example,

    PRO1 LIKE MATH, SCIENCE BUT POSS1 FAVOURITE ART, WHY? PRO1 LIKE PAINTING

    I like maths and science, but my favourite subject is art because I like painting.

  • asking factual questions with relevant lexicalised signs, CAs, DSs and NMFs to request information about planned activities in the Deaf community or local and national events, in relation to details such as place, time or cost, for example,

    DEAF CLUB START WHEN?

    When does Deaf Club start?

    PT+dn YEAR DEAFLYMPICS WHERE?

    Where are the Deaflympics this year?

    NAIDOC ASSEMBLY MEET TIME WHAT?

    What time do we meet for the NAIDOC assembly?

  • developing appropriate conversational behaviours such as sharing ideas through turn-taking, acknowledging and extending others’ contributions using discourse markers, interjections, fillers and NMFs such as

    OH!

    WHOA

    (a claw handshape with movement in front of face expressing SORRY or DANGER)

    WOW

    PRO2-KNOW

    UM

    AH (I see)

  • sharing feelings about important experiences or events, using NMFs to show manner, for example,

    PRO1 EXCITED HOLIDAY SOON

    I am excited about the holidays.

    POSS1 FRIEND CHANGE OTHER SCHOOL PRO1 SAD

    I was sad when my friend changed schools.

  • comparing routines or activities in face-to-face or online exchanges, using signs for time, sequence and location, for example,

    WHAT TIME PRO2 USUALLY GO-TO BED?

    What time do you usually go to bed?

    EVERY MONDAY POSS1 CLASS LBUOY(1):READING LBUOY(2):MATHS LBUOY(3):SWIMMING. POSS2 CLASS G:WELL?

    Every Monday my class has reading, then maths, then swimming. What about your class?

  • using persuasive language in social interactions with each other, with NMFs and lexicalised signs such asMUST/MUST-NOT versus CAN/CAN-NOT to explicitly express opinion or stance on an issue, or use of conditionals to demonstrate cause and effect, for example,

    FS:IF PRO2 DRIVE DANGEROUS, PRO2 WILL CRASH

    If you drive dangerously, you will crash.

  • using appropriate protocols when following instructions or gaining the attention of a group, such as flashing lights, waving, multiple tapping or foot stomping in some contexts, waiting for eye contact or pauses in signing, and using language such as EXCUSE ME or SORRY INTERRUPT or QUICK INTERRUPT when interrupting a conversation

  • developing communicative strategies in conversations such as clarifying own and others’ points of information, for example,

    PRO2 MEAN …?

    Do you mean …?

    THAT RIGHT (CORRECT)?

    Is that right?

    KNOW WHAT PRO1 MEAN?

    Do you know what I mean?

    THIS PRO2 FINISH THIS?

    Do you think that’s finished now?

    RIGHT (CORRECT) PRO1?

    … am I right?

  • understanding how to walk between signers engaged in conversation without interrupting, whereby the signer walks in front of the person signing and the person walking behind is responsible for steering the signer away from bumping into people, objects or poles

Literacy

Intercultural understanding

participate in activities that involve planning and transacting with others, using a range of phrases and structures in familiar contexts

AC9L1AU4C02

  • working together in projects such as short films or displays to demonstrate content knowledge from different curriculum areas, sharing decisions about content, vocabulary and sequencing, for example, making a film to describe the basic needs of an animal

  • playing group games that involve the exchange of information, such as a treasure hunt or guessing game, using lexicalised signs and SASSs and DSs for appropriate questioning, for example,

    BROWN EYES CURLY HAIR, PRO3 HAVE, YES-NO?

    Does he have brown eyes and curly hair?

    CAN COOK WITH?

    Can you use it for cooking?

    DS:OPEN-DOOR PT+f DS:WALK-THROUGH

    Open the door and walk through.

  • negotiating roles and responsibilities such as group leader, note-taker or reporter, and expressing preferences when working on shared projects, using expressions such as

    PRO1 RATHER THAT JOB PRO2 WANT, WHAT?

    I would prefer to do that; What job do you want to do?

    PRO1 FILM PRO2 QUESTION

    I’ll film; you ask the questions.

  • working together on collaborative tasks such as craft activities, using interactional phrases such as

    CAN PRO2 BRING SCISSORS PAPER, PLEASE?

    Can you please bring scissors and paper?

  • using a structured script or story to create a role-play in groups, for example, a script for a visit to a restaurant or adjusting aspects of popular stories, using CAs, NMFs and role shifts

  • contributing to the development of a set of class rules, for example,

    PT CHEWING FORBIDDEN

    We are not allowed to have gum.

    MUST DS:CHAIRS-IN DS:ENTITY

    We must push our chairs in.

    MUST PUT POSS2 HAND UP CA:HAND-UP

    You must put your hand up.

    ALWAYS NICE

    Always be nice

  • relaying messages between different members in Auslan games such as Auslan whispers, passing on visual images or jigsaw activities, using DSs or lexicalised signed sentences, for example, one student has half an image of a pink elephant, and signs to others PINK ELEPHANT, YOU HAVE? YES-NO?

  • creating a class profile or map identifying student connections to different countries

Literacy

Intercultural understanding

Mediating meaning in and between languages

locate and respond to key information related to familiar content obtained from signed, visual and multimodal texts

AC9L1AU4C03

  • using information collected from peers about interests, preferences or routines and presenting findings to the class using visual supports/graphic organisers, for example, determining the percentage of environmentally friendly methods of transport that students use to get to school

  • categorising object and signs based on their handshapes in activities such as a handshape bingo game, listing or signing signs related to the fixed handshape selected by the teacher, for example,

    handshape:five = COCKATOO, WHERE, HOW-MANY, FIRE

  • watching an Auslan video explaining the basic rules in a game or sport and following instructions by playing the game
  • learning that First Nations Australian languages change according to connections and relationships between people, and giving examples of how this occurs in Auslan
  • paraphrasing, retelling or recalling key points of information used in announcements, short documentaries or news items, such as signing back the information in Auslan or explaining the content to a peer who watched a different item
  • watching a story in Auslan and sequencing the events, using visual cues
  • viewing short Auslan stories or signed presentations by a teacher, peer or visitor, identifying specific points of information and recording observations in table form, for example, who, what, when, where

  • using CAs and gestures to predict subsequent events in a cartoon or short film clip, answering, for example,

    NEXT, WHAT?

    What happens next?

  • comparing 2 signed versions of a popular story, indicating their preference for one version over the other and explaining why
  • drawing a personal interpretation of a VV description of a character’s appearance
  • viewing performances by Deaf theatre companies and/or signed theatre performances and expressing their reactions using NMFs to show changing emotions such as anticipation, fear or relief
  • demonstrating understanding of a narrative through retelling or enacting or using DSs, focusing on the importance of eye gaze and role shift in CAs, when responding to the text

Literacy

Critical and creative thinking

develop strategies to comprehend and adjust Auslan to convey cultural meaning

AC9L1AU4C04

  • noticing how signs can convey rich, multilayered meaning which might not have a direct match in English, for example, using only NMFs to convey how powerfully the big bad wolf blows down the houses in The Three Little Pigs’, or CAs to convey Jack’s focus and exertion in climbing the beanstalk in Jack and the Beanstalk

  • comparing single signs and words that have direct matches to phrases in English, for example, GO-TO meaning to travel to/to attend/to go/to in English or more lexicalised words such as MOTHER, SCHOOL

  • identifying a list of non-equivalent Auslan sign/gestures used by deaf people that might be easily understood by hearing people, for example, head nodding and shaking, pointing to the wrist for time, shrugging shoulders for don’t know
  • creating a class signed translation of repeated lines in familiar children’s stories, such as We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, using DSs to show prepositions throughout the story

  • identifying the iconicity of some signs, such as SNORKELLING, SAILING, and noticing how similar they are to the object/referent, and how this helps with translating

  • translating English adjectives to Auslan, using SASSs, DSs and NMFs

  • exploring similarities and differences in Auslan dialects that differ in the northern regions (NSW, Qld and ACT) and southern regions (Vic, SA, WA, NT and Tas), such as ANIMAL or AFTERNOON, and colour signs

  • creating bilingual texts for the classroom or school community, such as posters including signed images or digital library displays, and discussing how to represent meaning in different languages for different audiences
  • explaining and identifying the meaning behind their sign name if appropriate, based on factors such as personality traits, physical characteristics or notable skills
  • watching a simple Auslan video and translating this into written English

Literacy

Intercultural understanding

Creating text in Auslan

create and present informative and imaginative signed, visual and multimodal texts, using fingerspelling (FS), lexical signs, depicting signs (DSs), non-manual features (NMFs), signing space, formulaic expressions and modelled textual conventions

AC9L1AU4C05

  • planning and rehearsing a presentation of factual information at a school assembly, for example, information about significant events such as the National Week of Deaf People or Harmony Day, using visual supports such as a timeline
  • creating and presenting an informative video about their school to support newly arrived deaf students, using Auslan and visuals, including a signed glossary of the most relevant signs
  • explaining a favourite computer game, sport or playground game to a younger audience, highlighting key terms and supporting the information with pictures, gestures and demonstrated actions, for example, teaching how to play handball or Duck, duck, goose
  • creating simple descriptions in Auslan and matching them to appropriate First Nations Country/Place locations in their local area or elsewhere in Australia
  • creating card games to play with peers that contain pictures, labels and signs, for example, cards relating to different forms of transport
  • creating an informative video for younger peers, identifying the Auslan signs and putting them into handshape categories
  • conveying information, such as a digital report in a school newsletter, about cultural events, for example, an excursion to a Deaf event/school, Auslan Day, a deaf visitor or about local community, national or international events such as Anzac Day or Chinese New Year
  • creating a short signed performance by experimenting and adapting key elements of a popular picture book or humorous story, using elements of CA such as role shift and eye gaze, NMFs, signing space and signing techniques, according to characters
  • performing stories for a live audience or community festival with a focus on NMFs to express emotion and humour
  • participating in storytelling games or imaginative activities, for example, the joint construction of a progressive story

Literacy

Personal and social capability

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