Auslan is Australian Sign Language, the native language of the Australian Deaf community, and is a visual-spatial, natural language with its own grammar and vocabulary. Auslan has linguistic elements, such as hand shapes (including orientation, location and movement), non-manual features (including eye gaze, facial expressions, arm, head and body postures) and fingerspelling.

Auslan also has its own grammar, which is different from English. Auslan grammar is composed of precise hand shapes, facial expressions and body movements that convey concrete and abstract information.

Learning Auslan has many benefits for both deaf and hearing children. Sign language can:

• enhance children’s educational and personal development
• increase memory retention and motion processing
• stimulate brain development and mental flexibility
• increase enjoyment in communicating for both hearing and deaf children.

The teaching and learning of Auslan aligns with our school ethos of supporting diversity and inclusion. 

Auslan will be taught to all students through a weekly immersion program that complements our literacy and numeracy programs. Through practical and fun classes, students and staff will learn how to fingerspell, develop a vocabulary of basic conversational signs, and learn how to structure sentences.

AUSLAN VCAA