AY Honors/Auslan (Australian Sign Language)/Answer Key/en

Auslan (Australian Sign Language)

Skill Level

2

Year

2023

Version

04.09.2025

Approval authority

Australian Union

It is helpful before you start to recognise the difference between Auslan and ASL (American Sign Language). A common misconception is that all English-speaking Sign Languages are the same. Even the alphabet is different! Auslan is more closely related to BSL (British Sign Language) and NZSL (New Zealand Sign Language).

1

Learn the manual alphabet used by the deaf in Australia (Auslan).

a. A helpful tip for making the most of your class time with your trainer, is to ask the students to memorise the alphabet before their first class. You might be surprised how many already know it!

b. Try this website for an image of each letter and some helpful practise links: Auslan.org

c. Try this YouTube video to copy and extra tips on the alphabet (captions on):

d. Fingerspelling yourself and understanding another person fingerspelling to you is a very different experience! Fun games can be created out of practising this skill! Have fun with having conversations through windows to show them the unique benefits of Auslan over spoken languages!

2

Have a minimum of five hours of instruction in signing.

a. It is highly recommended that you find a Deaf person to teach this. If you know someone who knows Auslan, ask them for a recommendation. Otherwise search online for your closest Deaf organisation to contact. If you have very generous trainers, they might even stay to run a game with the whole club! You will be amazed at what they can do with a group of pathfinders who have never learnt a single sign!

b. All instruction time should be considered a voice-off experience. Ask students to use gestures, pointing and writing to get them to rely on their signing and fingerspelling. Not only does this increase the speed of their learning, but gives them an idea of the communication barrier that Deaf people experience on a daily basis!

3

Hold a conversation entirely in Auslan for two minutes using a mix of established signs and fingerspelling.

Towards the end of training, ask students to pair up and have a conversation based on some basic key words they have learnt. Give them some topics to get them started and teach them to rely on fingerspelling for unknown words.

4

Learn at least 100 signs.

a. E.g., common objects, questions, common phrases and actions, colours, greetings, emotions, the alphabet, numbers, days of the week, and signs related to the songs (below).

b. It is strongly suggested to learn some church/faith specific words. Ask a Deaf church nearby or Youtube video by Darren Kirkegard.

c. You can use the online dictionary for help or reminders (Auslan.org), but keep in mind Auslan is an ever-changing language and if relying on sources such as this instead of practising Auslan grammar, you can turn into more of a signed-English style, which is not Auslan.

5

Learn and present in Auslan (not fingerspelling) at least two simple church songs.

Some examples:
a. Jesus loves me
b. Jesus Alphabet Song
c. God is so Good
d. This Little Light of Mine
e. I’ve Got the Joy in my Heart
f. Rejoice in the Lord, Always

6

Do one of the following:

6a

Explain the difference between Auslan and signed English and demonstrate the use of both.

1. Auslan is a visual language with its own grammatical structures, which are different from those found in English. Auslan is less fixed in terms of word order when compared to the English language. This means that sentence structures are also less fixed. However, there are still some conventional rules and guidelines for using Auslan, which help guide communication. (DeafNav.com)
2. Signed English is a word-for-word translation from spoken English to signs. It is laborious and has been found to be ineffective as a language and teaching tool. (SignPlanet.net)

6b

Write and present a short report on how we can make our church/schools/websites/social media "Deaf & Hard of Hearing friendly," and then choose a place to evaluate.

1. Use websites from local Deaf organisations to gather information.
2. It would be helpful to speak with a Deaf or HoH person &/or perhaps a Deaf organisation. Contact the Christian Services for the Blind and Hearing Impaired in the SPD office.
3. Examples include: Good lighting, communicating fully facing the person, seating in a circle, speak clearly, enable live captions on video meetings, provide edited captions on social media content, include Auslan interpretation of events, signage for location of items, a working assistive listening device in the church, speaker set up to suit those with hearing aids, website to state what accessibility is provided.

References

• Australian Union Auslan (Australian Sign Language) Honor
• Auslan Signbank
• More information on finding a teacher or interpreter