At Regency Park Primary School we are proud to offer Auslan as our Language Other Than English program. Learning Auslan provides students with a unique opportunity to embrace inclusivity, develop respect for diversity, and deepen their understanding of the rich culture of the Deaf Community in Australia.
Auslan, short for Australian Sign Language, officially became a recognised language in 1991. It is the preferred language of the Deaf Community and has its own grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary.
The aim of our Auslan program is to give students the chance to learn a valuable new skill while gaining insight into an important part of Australia’s culture and community. All students are encouraged to have a go and experience a different way of communicating.
Auslan is taught through a wide variety of engaging activities including games, music, songs, art, movement, discussion, and research projects. Some of the topics we explore are:
- The Auslan alphabet
- Social signs such as greetings and manners
- School and community related signs
- Directions and instructions
- Words for emotions
- Colours and numbers
- Sport related vocabulary
- The use of different handshapes
- The role of non-manual features such as facial expressions to convey added meaning
Another important feature of our program is making connections to events taking place across Victoria and Australia. We support whole school events and celebrations such as Harmony Week, NAIDOC Week, Education Week, ANZAC Day, AFL celebrations, and cultural festivals including Diwali, Ramadan, and Christmas. Students learn about these events and explore Auslan signs that connect to each occasion.