AUSLAN and Visual Communications, Assessment Task 2: Learning Resource

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And Visual Communications EDUC20076 2

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Student Name: Fady Ghabbour

Student No.: 585 023

Group B

Tutor: Kate Leigh

contents 1.0. What is Auslan?

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2.0. Basic tools of Communication

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2.1. Lexicalised signs 2.2. Depicting signs 2.3. Pointing signs 2.4. Enactment

3.0. Enactment & Storytelling

3.1. Parameters of Auslan

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4.0. Fingerspelling

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5.0. Resource Rationale

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6.0. References

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1.0. What is AUSLAN?

Australian Sign Language, used by:

Deaf people Deaf students

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Deaf community

Sign language interpreters

Students of Auslan

Parents of deaf children

Auslan is a 3D language

unlike spoken English.

Non-linear language

show rather than tell.

Relies on heavily on space

Spatial language.

Uses non-manual features

if used out of context, meaning

changes or can be wrong.

2.0. Basic tools of Communication

Enactment

Lexicalised signs Vocabulary of the language, signs that are associated with specific vocab.

Use of action to convey meaning.

Heavily relies on non-manual features (NMF) and facial expression.

Gesture

Since Auslan is a spatial language, meaning can be logically understood from the sign.

However, not all signs are equivalent in a semantic sense.

The signer acts out feelings, reactions, emotional responses to the given context.

Auslan Depicting signs

Pointing signs

Signs that are used to describe people, animals or objects by making reference to identifiable elements of objects - size, shape, movement, etc.

Allow signer to refer to themsevles, other people or other objects in the surrounding space

Fingerspelling

Taking advantage of the context and surroundings to make reference to familiar entities during communication.

Mouth Mouth gestures & mouthing.

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2.1. Lexicalised Signs

Although Auslan is a visual 3D language, some signs, just like words, may be arbitrary, with no relationship to meaning. Some signs also may change in meaning overtime - historical influence on sign semantics.

Auslan Signbank Dictionary (Auslan Signbank, n.d.): http://www.auslan.org.au/dictionary/

2.2. Depicting Signs

Lexicalised signs are quite important in Auslan, however they are not everything.

Effective communication and storytelling can be made through the use of depicting signs. Auslan is a visual language, therefore it is important to visually describe how things look without relying on auslan vocab or finger spelling.

HANDLING 3

SASS

SASS

ENTITY

Basic conversation skills in Auslan (Tien Le, 2013):

SASS Size And Shape Specifier - the use of hands movements and gestures to describe the shape and size of objects. In the example provided of the “Spooky House� story, the use of SASS is seen in describing the shape as well as size of the door and the size of the spider.

ENTITY Describing people and/or animals in visual communication is important. Entity depicting signs use the fingers and may also describe activities, such as walking, going up/down stairs, running, jumping, sitting, laying etc.

HANDLING Handling classifiers are signs that depict the hand as it interacts with various objects, such as opening a door, winding a window or opening a box.

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2.3. Pointing Signs

The use of the index finger, or the hand, to point to surrounding objects, people, animals. Also important in visual storytelling, as the signer is normally looking to create a fictional context and scenario, therefore pointing to the hypothetical location of things in storytelling helps create a scene in the mind.

2.4. Enactment

Perhaps one of the most important elements in visual communication and storytelling. Enactment is when the signer uses non-manual features and expressions for emotional demonstration in certain situations, how they feel about certain things, what mood they are in, and also heavily used in storytelling to embody the role of the characters portrayed.

Important to use NMF in their appropriate context.

NMF change to suit context.

Add meaning to different signs.

Inappropriate use may cause confusion.

Visit auslanstories storybook library for various techniques in visual storytelling and examples of enactment through NMF/facial expressions and body language (The Storybook Library, n.d.): 5

http://auslanstories.weebly.com/the-storybook-library.html

3.0. Enactment & Storytelling

Parameters of Auslan signs

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o c a t i o n

o v e m e n t

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3.1. Paramaters of Auslan

H interview

communication

drug

paper

sister

dinner

hello

stop

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sign

E like

dislike

NMF

The use of NMF combined with sign parameters and conventions can

modify the meaning of the sign of the same sign.

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4.0. Fingerspelling

Fingerspelling is very important in Auslan in order to spell specific English words. For me as a beginner in Auslan, it is inredibly useful in spelling out words that I do not know signs for, although that makes Auslan more of a linear language.

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Fingerspelling step-by-step (DeafSportRecQld, 2008): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwqkmvWi1BQ

Practice fingerspelling on signbank website (Auslan Signbank, n.d.): http://www.auslan.org.au/spell/practice.html

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5.0. Resource Rationale

The documentation process that I used to organise the learning material from this intensive course relies on providing visual clues, combined with light text and a logical sequence of information. Through diagramatic representation of the information I was able to summarise the core elements that were covered in Auslan.

Being a visual learner, learning through seeing and doing is best for me and for retaining information.

Therefore the sequence and layout of date in this journal was quite important.

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I followed no particular order in the making of this resource. Instead, I brainstormed what I learnt from the workshops throughout the week. The logic was to revise the information and begin documenting in the logical order that I can recall it in, making sure I cover relevant areas under included sections. This meant that I am able to visually make links between different concepts and better consolidate the information in a more organised way in my mind. The inclusion of images and videos is quite important as it visually demonstrates the concepts and they provide visual clues that trigger the information.

6.0. References

Auslan Signbank. (n.d.).Retrieved July 17, 2014, from http://www.auslan.org.au/dictionary/ Auslan Signbank (n.d.) Spell Practice. Retrieved July 17, 2014, from http://www.auslan.org.au/spell/ practice.html

The Storybook Library (n.d). Retrieved July 17, 2014, from http://auslanstories.weebly. com/the-storybook-library.html Le, T. [Tien Le]. (2013, September 13). Sign Language Lessons Australia- How to SIGN GREETINGS in Auslan (with Subtitles). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com /watch?v=-G3cINCbREk

[DeafSportsRecQld]. (2008, November 26). Auslan in Sport- Fingerspelling. Retrieved from http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwqkmvWi1BQ

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