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- Auslan - Australian Curriculum
- Auslan - Australia Curriculum
- Auslan First Language - Years 7 to 10
- Years 9-10 Auslan Syllabus
- FL 9-10 Content Descriptions - Understanding language and culture
- FL 9-10 Strand - Understanding systems of language
FL 9-10 Strand - Understanding systems of language
Understanding systems of language
apply features of Auslan sign production including handshape, orientation, location and movement (HOLM), and non-manual features (NMFs), and show how these are represented in familiar and some unfamiliar contexts
- applying fluid patterns of fingerspelling
- using the various types and functions of NMFs, such as movements of the eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks, shoulders and body, to convey effective meaning in real or simulated scenarios, for example, in a class presentation or class debate on a favourite topic
- modifying pace for emphasis when presenting personal views on a topic of interest
- modifying dominant and non-dominant hands for effect or using one hand only to convey the same meaning as the original 2-hand sign
- using NMFs to modify verbs when enacting different types of movements, for example, tip-toe versus stomp
- applying knowledge of iconicity, for example, how the path movement of a verb can show the timing of an action, for example, PRO1 WAIT DS:FAST-REPEAT PRO2, observing that English can do the same with changes to the length of words, for example, Ive been waiting a loooooong time for you
- recognising multi-channel signs and showing that some signs can occur with a standard mouth gesture
- recognising that some signs can occur with mouth morphemes to indicate manner and adjectives
- noticing compound signs that use both body anchored and non-body-anchored signs together to create new meaning
select and use structures and features of the Auslan grammatical system to enhance meaning and create signed, visual and multimodal texts
- showing where and how a signer uses space to establish a location, for example, through the use of points, non-body-anchored signs or fingerspelled words
- recognising and practising using locations for present referents, non-present referents, or abstract referents that do not exist in space
- recognising that fully-lexical signs may be found in the dictionary and have a standard HOLM, and partly-lexical signs are not listed in a dictionary in all forms
- intensifying adjectives through the use of NMFs such as HOT, signing with great emphasis, and depicting a wide-eyed expression for EXTREMELY HOT, or signing TOUGH with great exertion to show VERY TOUGH
- distinguishing between the citation form of a sign and the overlaid adverbial NMF, for example, MAN SPRINT (base form), MAN SPRINT NMF:INTENSITY (manner added)
- showing that in CAs, 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
- viewing a signed text and documenting time codes for entity, handling and SASS DSs
- changing the movement to express how a verb happens over time, for example, signing WATCH versus WATCH DS:SLOW-REPEAT watch again and again
- using structures to show a sequence of time, for example, WORK ALL DAY, FUTURE GENERATION
- using aspectual markers with mouth morphemes to demonstrate duration and frequency, for example,RECENTLY FINISH WORKRecently, we finished our work.LONG-AGO DINOSAURS HERE HAVELong time ago, dinosaurs were here.
- applying knowledge of conjunctions such as PLUS, IF or BUT to join clauses and create cohesion in a procedural text
- adding adjectives, adverbs, CAs, DSs and lexical signs, and moving between ‘showing’ and ‘telling’ information to elaborate and extend clauses
reflect on and evaluate Auslan texts, using metalanguage to discuss language structures and features
- using metalanguage to communicate about features of Auslan, such as talking about the use of fingerspelling, CAs, DSs and NMFs
- comparing SASS DSs with English adjectives such as a small, sleek, new car, or a large, battered, old ute
- comparing instances of representation of direct and indirect speech in English texts and corresponding this with the use of CAs in Auslan
- identifying and reflecting on created and emerging vocabulary, signs and expressions in texts, for example, COMPUTER, MOUSE (COMPUTER), INTERNET, WI-FI, SELFIE, CHAT
- using metalanguage to identify how to construct cohesive and coherent texts through the use of referents and discourse markers, and connectives such as lexical signs THEN or G:WELL or NMFs and pausing
- interviewing older members of Deaf families or Deaf communities and reporting back to the class about differences in signing they noticed such as more use of fingerspelled words, less use of DSs and NMFs, or the use of different signs such as FILM (old sign), TOILET (old sign)
- discussing how signers can compare or contrast ideas by locating things in the same or opposing sides of signing space
- identifying the use of prefixes and suffixes in English and discussing how these can be represented in Auslan
- identifying cultural 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 and comparing this with other languages
- identifying that iconic abstract signs such as SASS DSs can represent a whole object or part of an object, and describing metaphorical iconicity such as LOVE, AVOID/RESIST, and discussing how it relates to metaphors in English
- analysing linguistic structures and features associated with more dynamic texts such as live or filmed dialogues between 2 signers, observing and recording examples of backchannels and hesitations used in conversational exchanges
Understanding the interrelationship of language, culture and identity
reflect on and explain how identity is shaped by language(s), culture(s), attitudes, beliefs and values, and how these affect ways of communicating
- considering culturally appropriate and ethical language when interacting with Deaf people, discussing vocabulary, phrases and expressions to be avoided
- viewing footage of members of the Deaf community discussing identity and their experience of using sign language when growing up, and collating a biographical signed digital pamphlet of common and/or varying life journeys
- considering the concepts of Deaf Gain, Deafhood, and explaining these concepts to hearing people
- reflecting on and explaining the protocols required to authentically co-create an Acknowledgement of Country/Place with a First Nations Australian, to present in Auslan to a group of Auslan-using visitors at a school assembly
- reflecting on the impact of key events such as the Milan Congress in 1880 and the Signed English movement in the 1970s and 1980s on the education of deaf children, and developing a promotional video suggesting ways to further progress understanding
- preparing a presentation for the class or school assembly on the behaviours, rights, roles and responsibilities of the Deaf community in relation to the ownership and maintenance of Auslan
- keeping a journal of memorable experiences associated with learning and using Auslan in and out of school, noting personal reactions and reflections over time and insights gained into themselves as language users
- promoting participation in community issues and programs, such as creating more green places and safe playgrounds, volunteering in aged care facilities or childcare centres, by contributing to a school secure blog
- exploring the role of globalisation in terms of what technology offers signed languages, including the capacity for further advancements in technologies to store, record and share signed languages
- identifying behaviours, rights, roles and responsibilities in relation to the ownership and maintenance of Auslan and how such ownership rests with the Deaf community
- 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 use of full titles in acknowledgements and forms of address when introducing an esteemed elder