Years 1-2 Auslan Syllabus
Years 1-2 Syllabus
Years 1-2 Band Level Description
In Years 1 and 2, Auslan learning builds on each student’s prior learning and experiences with language. Students continue to communicate and work in collaboration with teachers and peers through purposeful and structured activities involving signing and viewing. They interact in Auslan to share information about themselves and their immediate environments, using play-based and action-related learning. In informal settings, they use local and digital resources to explore Auslan and signing communities in diverse locations. They continue to receive extensive support through modelling, scaffolding, repetition and reinforcement.
Students recognise key words and phrases, imitate language gestures, and use modelled language to communicate with others. They create simple informative and imaginative texts that may include pictorial representations, words and short statements. They collaborate and respond to visual and multimodal texts that may include conversations, rhymes, picture and story books, animated captioned cartoons, films and performances. They notice that languages contain words which have been borrowed from another language, and that there are similarities and differences between Auslan language and culture and their own.
Years 1-2 Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 2, students use Auslan to interact and share information related to the classroom and themselves. They use cues to respond to questions and instructions, and use simple formulaic language. They locate and convey key items of information in texts using non-verbal, visual and contextual cues to help make meaning. They use familiar signs and modelled language, including some fingerspelling (FS), lexical signs, depicting signs (DSs), non-manual features (NMFs) and signing space, to create texts.
Students imitate the parameters of signs. They demonstrate understanding that Auslan has conventions and rules for signing. They give examples of similarities and differences between some features of Auslan and English. They understand that language is connected with culture and identity, and notice how this is reflected in their own language(s), culture(s) and identity.
Content Descriptions
Interacting in Auslan
recognise and respond to modelled classroom-related greetings, instructions and routines, and personal introductions
participating in simple dialogues using greetings, farewells and sign names where appropriate, following modelled signs such as HOW-ARE-YOU? SEE-YOU-AGAIN
- referring to classmates, teachers or visitors by pointing, fingerspelling a name, or using a sign name where appropriate, noting the cultural etiquette of sign names
asking and answering simple questions that require an affirmative or negative response, such as
WANT PLAY HIDE-AND-SEEK?
Do you want to play Hide and seek?
WANT
Yes, I want to.
PRO2 ALRIGHT?
Are you alright?
YES
Yes
BIRD PRO2 HAVE?
Do you have a bird?
BIRD PRO1 HAVE
I have a bird.
- recognising and responding to classroom instructions
asking and answering simple questions that require a closed or simple response, such as
SISTER BROTHER HOW-MANY?
How many sisters and brothers do you have?
BROTHER(TWO) SISTER(ONE)
Two brothers and one sister.
SCISSORS WHERE?
Where are the scissors?
BLACK BLUE PENCIL WANT WHICH?
Which pencil do you want? Black or blue?
HOW-OLD PRO2?
How old are you?
PRO1 AGE-YEARS(SEVEN)
I am 7 years old.
making statements to express feelings and simple opinions using lexical signs and affective NMFs, for example,
PRO1 HAPPY
I’m happy.
PRO3 GRUMPY
She’s grumpy.
PRO1 LIKE SCHOOL
I like school.
PRO1 FLOWER LIKE-NOT
I don’t like flowers.
PRO1 LOVE APPLES
I love apples.
describing the appearance of people or objects using simple statements and supporting pictures or props, for example,
PRO3 HAVE DS:CURLY-HAIR
He has curly hair.
THAT BOX BIG
That box is big.
- sharing information about what they like to do after school or on the weekend
playing action games such as Simon says, using plain verbs, for example, PRO1 RUN, PRO1 READ
asking for help or permission, for example,
PLEASE PT+c HELP?
Can you help me, please?
PRO1(PL) CAN SHARE?
Can we share these?
AGAIN PLEASE?
Can you please sign it again?
SLOW PLEASE?
Can you sign it slowly please?
teaching family members Auslan such as PLEASE, THANK-YOU, SORRY, WELCOME, GOOD-LUCK, CONGRATULATIONS/WELL-DONE, HAPPY BIRTHDAY and deaf applause
participate in a range of guided, play-based language activities, using formulaic expressions and visual cues
- participating in games that involve the use of repeated phrases, expressions, actions and NMFs, for example, I went to market, and I bought …, I have, you have?
following instructions that include simple DSs, to locate and move classroom objects or complete an action-based activity, such as an obstacle course, for example,
DESK DS:PLACE-IN PUT
Put it in the desk.
TREE DS:WALK AROUND
Walk around the tree.
following classroom instructions that include simple DSs for completing activities, such as
DS:LINE-UP PLEASE
Line up, please.
LOOK-AT PRO1
Look at me.
PLEASE WITH TWO
Please find a partner.
taking turns in games such as Go fish or memory games, using appropriate signs and NMFs, for example,
POSS2 TURN
It’s your turn.
PRO2 PICK-UP
You pick up.
THREE HAVE PRO2?
Do you have a 3?
swapping or ‘buying’ objects, using question signs and affirmative and negative answers, for example,
HOW-MANY WANT?
How many do you want?
THAT HOW-MUCH?
How much is that?
interacting with a signing puppet or doll in an imaginary setting, for example, by signing simple questions such as
POSS2 NAME, WHAT?
What is your name?
PRO2 LIKE FS: DO WHAT?
What do you like to do?
- watching group performances of rehearsed role plays and joining in expressions of support such as the use of deaf applause
Mediating meaning in and between languages
locate, with support, key information in familiar texts, and respond using gestures, images, words and formulaic phrases
- participating in information-gap activities such as identifying signed information from class messages or short introductions, for example, by identifying names, school locations, numbers or times
gathering information from each other, about topics such as family members, favourite foods and pets, to report back to the class using familiar structures and modelled language, for example,
CAT HAVE HOW-MANY KITTEN? SIX
How many kittens does the cat have? Six.
identifying and applying specific information in live or recorded Auslan texts to complete guided tasks such as colouring-in and craft activities, or interacting with materials and objects related to properties such as colour, number, size or shape, for example,
TREE COLOUR GREEN
Colour the tree green.
BLUE POINT
Point to blue.
YELLOW BLOCK BLUE BLACK DS:ON
Put the blue block on the yellow block.
- recognising that gesture and body language are integral to communicating in language for First Nations Australians, and showing examples of how they are also reflected in Auslan, and the language(s) they speak at home
- viewing recorded or live children’s stories in Auslan, demonstrating understanding through drawing, gesture, modelled signs or voice
responding to teacher prompts, in Auslan or English, to capture impressions when viewing images, video clips or stories in Auslan, for example,
PRO2 SEE FINISH VIDEO. NOTICE WHAT?
You saw the video. What did you notice?
SAME WHAT? SAME DIFFERENT?
What’s the same? What’s different?
- shadowing NMFs in short Auslan poems or Deaf stories, for example, facial expressions or repeated signs
- responding to short expressive texts such as cartoons, using drawings, familiar signs or re-enactments with puppets or props to show the movement of people, animals and/or objects
- responding imaginatively to stimuli, using gestures, handshapes, facial expressions and simple signs, for example, acting out different ways a character in a story may respond
notice that language carries cultural meaning in classroom-related greetings, introductions, instructions and routines
- creating a word wall or poster, comparing the iconicity of some simple signs in terms of their similarity to the object/referent, for example, drink, food, kangaroo
explaining why they like a chosen sign or expression, for example, DOG, CAT, BIRD
- making own bilingual Auslan-English picture dictionaries with labels, images or recordings of signs, for example, posters or cards with pictures to learn the signs for familiar objects, classroom items or daily activities
- noticing that in signed languages meaning can be expressed in different ways, for example, with signs or fingerspelling
translating simple Auslan signs for peers, by fingerspelling or writing the English word, for example, distinguishing between signs and fingerspelled version of DOG, CAT, BIRD, and names, understanding that fingerspelling is a tool for translation between Auslan and English
- considering the meaning behind sign names if appropriate, indicating whether it is related to appearance, personality, a characteristic, story, habit or family
Creating text in Auslan
with support, create signed, visual and multimodal texts, using modelled fingerspelling (FS), lexical signs, depicting signs (DSs), non-manual features (NMFs) and signing space
- contributing to a presentation such as a class video, by signing a simple description of their family, pets or class members
- recording and presenting a video about aspects of their daily routines, using modelled signs and visual prompts
- describing their favourite places and activities in a presentation, using pictures, photos or objects
- matching bilingual captions/labels to images of First Nations Country/Place locations in their local area or elsewhere in Australia
- using modelled iconic and DSs to create variations to actions involved in familiar stories such as ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’, for example, adding alternative food items
creating sequences of signs, using a fixed handshape such as the index finger ‘point’, for example,
YOU THINK I SHY?
You think I’m shy?
- using gestures and modelled signs to create short skits that convey emotions and behaviours associated with characters from familiar texts
- enacting the movements and characteristics of a particular animal, through the use of constructed action (CA)
creating and using handshape images to represent signs and label with words, for example, flat hand = FISH, five = TREE, claw = SPIDER, ok = BEE
Understanding systems of language
recognise that Auslan is a visual-gestural language, and imitate the parameters of signs such as handshape, orientation, location, movement (HOLM) and non-manual features (NMFs)
- noticing the location of a sign on the body or in space
- understanding that syllables in English are like handshapes, movements and locations in Auslan, in the sense that they are combined together to make signs
working with information to create a class video, identifying and categorising a select range of signs according to handshape, for example, COCKATOO handshape:five and SOCCER handshape:fist
- noticing the variation in ‘handedness’ between signers in relation to signs and fingerspelling, and developing use of ‘writing hand’ as dominant hand when signing
- noticing that meaning can be expressed through fingerspelling, for example, fingerspelling individual words, using clear letter formation
recognising movements of the hands in modelled signs, for example, GIRL or BOY
recognising that some signs are iconic, linking to the appearance of a referent, for example, HOUSE, TREE, ELEPHANT, and that some are not iconic, such as SISTER, WHY, SIMPLE
- practising signing which is clear, for example, not ‘mumbling’ by using a small space and not ‘yelling’ by using an overly large space
- practising signing at a constant speed
recognise that signs and features of language are used to construct meaning in Auslan
- recognising that there is range of signing space in signed interactions
- identifying and indicating how people or things in the classroom can be represented by DSs, for example, point can mean a person, a ruler can be long or short
- noticing that there can be one or more referents in an Auslan text
- showing understanding that proper nouns can have a sign name, a lexical sign or can be fingerspelled
identifying verb signs SIT, EAT, FEEL, HAVE and recognising that they are central to a clause
noticing there is no equivalent for the verb ‘to be’ in Auslan, for example,
PRO1 COLD
I am cold.
practising the signing of examples of adjectives that describe nouns in different ways, such as how they look (BIG or RED), feel (SOFT or HOT), smell (SMELLY) or sound (LOUD)
understanding how to create complete sentences through movement within signs, for example,
FINISHED CALL PRO3 (sign moves from the signer to referent)
I called him.
PRO2 HELP PRO3(PL) (the sign HELP moves from the referent location to the signer’s body, expressing that the help was given to them)
You helped them.
recognising simple time markers without numeral incorporation, for example, TODAY, TOMORROW, NEXT-WEEK
notice that Auslan has features that may be similar to or different from English
- recognising that every language uses words or signs to make meaning, for example, creating a poster showing similarities and differences between Auslan and English for welcoming, greeting and introducing
- identifying aspects of Auslan and English which are similar or different, for example, NMFs or fingerspelling and recording these in a T-chart
- recognising that Auslan is a different sign language from that in other countries, and this is similar to having different spoken languages in other countries
- comparing Auslan and English pronouns
- recognising that texts are created to achieve different purposes, for example, a signed story or a signed instruction noticing that Auslan has more flexibility of word order than English
Understanding the interrelationship of language, culture and identity
notice that people use language in ways that reflect cultural identity
- exploring the 'Deaf way' such as the use of physical space to ensure signers can see each other, being able to communicate through windows or from a distance, and recognising the importance of facial expression, eye gaze and NMFs in conveying information in a visual-gestural language and culture
- exploring how deaf people use technology in ways that may be different from hearing people, for example, through the use of flashing door lights, vibrating alarm clocks and captions
- comparing aspects of their own lives with those of deaf children in their school or represented in digital images, video clips and stories, such as ways of playing games, telling stories or interacting at school, for example, comparing how the swimming-pool game ‘Marco Polo’ uses splashing instead of voice to attract attention when deaf children play together
- exploring symbols and language used by First Nations Australians and the Deaf community in a range of contexts, for example, finding out what the symbols on flags represent
- recognising the unique nature of signed languages and understanding that there are many different signed languages in use around the world, including in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
- preparing a class poster, chart or calendar identifying languages used and cultural events celebrated by class and family members such as Auslan Day, National Week of Deaf People and national and international cultural celebrations relevant to the class
- noticing that deaf people value Auslan just as hearing people value their languages