Words learnt so far

Signbank is a website used to show the sign for different words in different parts of Australia. The website is very useful for finding the sign for a certain word, and the different dialects that are available.

Words learnt in this course so far:

• Describing self - Fingerspelling name, age, fingerspelling location of suburb, sign for Melbourne, Sydney, different hobbies (swimming, reading, sports), dreams (travelling the world, becoming a nurse), what your profession is (accountant, student - course of study), whether you are deaf, hearing or hard of hearing.
• Colours (white, brown, black, red, white)
• Animals (cat, dog, giraffe, wolf)

Extra information

Here you can find courses in Auslan for future reference.

VicDeaf
NMIT

Visual Storytelling

The visual representation of a story is key in storytelling for Auslan. This is especially important for deaf children who rely on the visuals, rather than the actual lexicalised signs or words. Telling stories in Auslan is a very visual experience.  There is a range of visual communication strategies that can be used in visual storytelling through Auslan.

Scenery
The scenery can be set through different hand gestures, and signs, coupled with facial expressions. This is usually done before telling any story or actions done by a character. This is where Size and Shape Specifier (SASS) comes in handy. The shape of an object would be described, as well as its minor details through SASS to provide information and context to the audience. SASS can be used to show if an object is round, cylindrical, square, rectangular and so on. It can also be used to describe the location of an object, for example, a small box inside a bigger box.


Characters

In storytelling, character development is very important so that the audience can have a general idea and can work out who the characters are, not just how they act. For example, if the storyteller acts out a character in a very laid back manner, you would know that the general attitude of the character would be, "I couldn't care less." Depicting Signs are used to provide a description of an object, the way people dress, the their size (tall, thin, fat). Modifications can be done to each sign to express how the character feels about something, or how the storyteller describes the character. For example, signing the word "cat" in a big way suggests that the cat is big.

Actions
Entity depicting signs can be used to show the action of an object, such as people, cars, animals, vehicles, and this depends on the size of the entity. With using your hand, one index finger pointig up can represent one person. With two fingers up, it would represent to people. With the index finger pointing horizontally, it would represent an animal or a person riding a bike. With the whole palm pointing sideways, it would represent a car or any other form of transport. The speed of the entity, the direction of its movement (going upwards, downwards, sideways), and if it is coupled with a depicting sign, tells us how an object is moving around. For example, a finger pointing upwards (representing a person) moving upwards in a slanting manner would represent a person walking up the stairs.

Emotions really help in storytelling as it describes how the character(s) feel in the situation provided. For example, if there were two people meeting and the story teller has a very angry facial expression, then the story would be about two people meet and are angry with each other or about something.

"Handling classifiers imitate the hands interacting with an object." quoted in Johnston and Schembri's book (2007). Handling signs would show the characters' actions by imitating it. For example, if a character were to open a car door, the storyteller would show the action of opening a car door.


These five bolded words are important to use for visual communication.

Reference List:
Johnston, T., & Schembri, A. (2007). Australian Sign Language (Auslan) : An Introduction to sign language linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Communicating with deaf people

Image Source: That Deaf Guy

When communicating with people from the deaf community, especially when through an interpreter, it is important to remember certain social protocols and to follow proper etiquette. This is to avoid certain conversational mishaps, or so that important information is not left out when speaking with a deaf person. 

When speaking to a deaf person through an interpreter, it is important to:

• look at the deaf person when speaking to them instead of looking at the interpreter.
• address the deaf person as a first person instead of a third person.
• keep the interpreter well light and in the person's view so that they can communicate clearly.
• speak in your normal pace and tone of voice. It may be more difficult to sign if you speak too slowly.
• avoid discussing subjects you do not wish the deaf person to know since the interpreter should sign everything that is said. 

The video below shows how you should act in a job interview with a deaf person and interpreter present. 

Video Source: YouTube

With social protocols, it is normal for a deaf person to play with vibrations or light to get someone's attention, for example, knocking on the table, turning table lights on and off, stamping their feet, tapping on the shoulder. In a classroom setting, it is important to raise your hand if there are any questions to be asked so that the deaf person will know. It is also important to wait your turn when someone else is talking so that the interpreter can interpret sequentially and will not be overwhelmed.

References:
- katie2952 (2010). Working with a BSL interpreter - What you SHOULD do..
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4sOJiV9esg

Further studying Auslan

With Auslan, face-to-face conversation is very important, since you cannot hear the language. It is mostly about showing and telling someone the information, as well as acting out the meaning. This is why Auslan is regarded as a 3D language, since you need the full space in front of you to show visual representation. 

Who uses sign language and where is it used?
The deaf community in Australia use Auslan, as well as family members of the deaf (parents, siblings, children of deaf adults, extended family, etc.) as a way of communicating with each other. Auslan can be used in schools, in work places, at home, at church, in community centres, as well as in sports.

The video below shows how a 5 year old girl born deaf communicates with her coaches in ASL.


Video Source: YouTube

Auslan consists of:

• Lexicalised signs
• Depicting signs
• Fingerspeling
• Mouth patterns
• Hand shape, Orientation, Location and Movement (HOLM)
• Non-manual features (NMF)
• Gestures
• Enactment

Lexicalised Signs
These are signs that became words of the Auslan dictionary over time.

Depicting Signs
These are signs that show a particular movement or how an object looks like, but it is not in the dictionary. Depicting signs show the particular size and shape of an object and can only be used if it follows enough information and context. For example, if you sign someone kick a ball, you would have to sign the person (lexicalised) and the action of kicking the ball (depicting). That vital piece of information has to be properly developed before using the depicting sign.

Fingerspelling
This is used when English words are borrowed from the English spoken language if Auslan does not have a sign for the word. For example, the word "hobby" is not present in Auslan, so you would have to spell it out using fingerspelling as "H-O-B-B-Y".


Video Source: YouTube

Mouth patterns
This is used sometimes to mouth english words.

HOLM
The parameters of Auslan consists of handshapes, orientation, location and movement, as well as non-manual features (NMF) which will be discussed below. "Handshapes" refers to the shape the hand makes, whether it is an open fist or closed fist, whether it has one finger up or all of it. These handshapes have specific names to them, for example, "O", "F", "Bent 2", "7", and so on. "Orientation" refers to the orientation of the hand, whether it is palm is facing upwards, or downwards, facing inwards or outwards. "Location" refers to the location of the hands relative to the body. "Movement" refers to how the hands are moving, whether in a straight line, or repetitive. The pace of the movement is also important. If just one of the parameters is altered, the meaning of the word can be totally different. For example, interview vs. communication. Between those two words, only the handshape is different, while the orientation, location and movement stays the same.


NMF
Non-manual features consist of facial expressions, head movements, mouth patterns, eyebrows, shoulders and body. This is separate from HOLM and are needed for vocabulary as well. Without these non-manual features, you wouldn't be able to tell the context of the story. Using non-manual features in conjunction with HOLM can show the size of an object as well, or can be used to ask questions. For example, if a signer raised their eyebrows, you would know that they were asking a question.


In this video, the signer is able to convey the message of this poem clearly with the non-manual features used. He signs a poem called "Butterfly Hands" and the emotions shown in this video is key to telling the story. Looking at the whole picture when using facial expression and gestures can give you a grasp of the message, so that even if you miss something, you are still able to get the general message.


Video Source: YouTube


Though it is clear that some signs resemble the word visually, Auslan is not all about resemblance or being visually similar (Johnston & Schembri, 2007).


References:

- McFeely, S. (2014). ASL Nook - Sports

Retrieved from http://youtu.be/Jx89yCVeJeY

- HeyDeeHoMusic (2013). ABC song with hey dee ho music

Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fABCpePIFG4

- DAN VIc (2012). BUTTERFLY HANDS Auslan Poem

Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhvQz7W0c5Q
- Johnston, T., & Schembri, A. (2007). Australian Sign Language (Auslan) : An Introduction to sign language linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Introduction

Image Source: That Deaf Guy


Is sign language universal?
No, sign language is not universal. In England, for example, BSL (British Sign Language) is used, while in America, ASL (American Sign Language) is used. In Ireland, ISL (Irish Sign Language) is used, while here in Australia, Auslan (Australian Sign Language) is used. Even in Australia, certain dialects of Auslan is present in different states. The sign for "car" in Melbourne, for example, means "coffee" in Adelaide.


What is Auslan?
Auslan is a sign language used only in Australia, although it is similar to BSL and ISL (Johnston & Schembri, 2007). This is because sign language was brought over from England (BSL) and deaf teachers were brought in to teach in Roman Catholic schools from Ireland (ISL).


Is spoken language translated to sign language word for word?
No, one whole phrase in a spoken language, e.g. English, can be translated into just one sign, in sign language. One example could be shown by the phrase, "I'm glad that's over" which can be said in just one sign. Auslan does not follow the English language order.

One English word can also have many different signs for it. The sole word "light" in English could describe the weight of an object, the shade of a certain colour, or the light coming in from the sun. This is why context is key in Auslan. If a word is too vague and has no context or background information to it, then it would be quite difficult to sign it in Auslan.

Image Source: That Deaf Guy

Some cultures also have signs that cannot be translated in English. This explains the important relationship of language and culture.

Auslan is a very visual language, as well as any other sign language. The difference between sign language and spoken language is that, in spoken language, the information is only being told. You cannot see how the word looks like. In this sense, spoken language is very 2 dimensional. While in sign language, the information is being shown and told. In this sense, sign language is very 3 dimensional. Auslan is more involved in providing information, and using space to show the relationship between object, action and people. This goes to show that Auslan relies very heavily on using space.


Is Auslan just about mime and gestures?
Auslan consists of not just mime and gestures, but so much more. You would have to actually learn the language and follow a certain set of rules. The hand shape, orientation of the palm, location and movement (HOLM) is an important part of Auslan. If one is altered, the whole sign will give a different meaning. But not only are the signs important, the non manual features such as facial expression and body movement is also important in conveying a message through sign language. Facial expression does not just show the emotions of a person, but provides different meaning for different words (e.g. "like" and "dislike"). This will be further discussed under the topic "Further studying Auslan".


This video below shows how the boy is signing a song by not only using HOLM but also NMF. His facial expressions and body movement go along with the song and really conveys how the mood of the song is set.

 Video Source: Youtube


References:
- Johnston, T., & Schembri, A. (2007). Australian Sign Language (Auslan) : An Introduction to sign language linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Malonda, R. (2012). Set Fire to the Rain - AUSLAN Song
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2H8CMVicRI