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Great for key words linked to themes such as family, food, transport, weather and more.

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Feel free to use these posters in schools, childcare centres, workplaces, in the home, share with friends and family and more!

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Lesson plans about hearing health and Auslan. Continually growing.

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TEACHERS

Deliver engaging lessons to your students.

VIEW COURSE >

STUDENTS

Play interactive games and participate in fun activities with your family.

VIEW COURSE >

PARENTS

Engage with your child in interactive games and home learning tasks.

VIEW COURSE >

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Can:Do Classroom - Can Do in the Classroom

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Deliver engaging lessons to your students. VIEW COURSE > Play interactive games and participate in fun activities with your family. VIEW COURSE > Engage with your child in interactive games and home learning tasks. VIEW COURSE >

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Orignally collated from ACARA By Auslan Resources. Amended for R-7 2nd language learners by Kim

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As I find new quality Auslan translated stories I will add to this play list.

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Educator passionate about Technology use enhancing access to curriculum for children with additional needs.

Educator passionate about Technology use enhancing access to curriculum for children with additional needs.

A mum to 2 awesome girls.

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Educator passionate about Technology use enhancing access to curriculum for children with additional needs. Educator passionate about Technology use enhancing access to curriculum for children with additional needs. A mum to 2 awesome girls.

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2019 National Simulataneous Story by Matt Cosgrove.

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Created online. You can create your own or edit this one. This Bingo Game has 64 common words for family, school, colours and time. Here is the link mfbc.us/m/cmf9wn

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Ask class to line up in order using only sign to communicate. Order could be first letter of last name, last letter of first name, number of birth day or month or anything lese you can think of that offers practice for signing.

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Pac Man

Students spread around the room. The teacher makes a sign or spells a word – students put their hands up if they know. The first hand up to get it right moves one step closer to the nearest person standing next to them. The goal is to tap the others on the shoulder and put them out of the game. The last person standing wins. Once students have chosen a spot they can't move. You can also offer more steps for harder words or to quicken the game to an end.

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TAHLIA, STUDENT: My name is Tahlia. My sign name is this. And I've been signing since year 4.

SASHA, STUDENT: My name is Sasha. My sign name is this. I've been learning Auslan since I was a baby.

TAHLIA, STUDENT: It's really cool because we can have our own secret conversations, so like if adults don't know sign language we can communicate and they won't know what we're saying.

ALFIE TIEU, REPORTER: If you can't hear, sign language is a great way to communicate.

In most places, only hearing-impaired people - and perhaps their families - know how to sign. But Klemzig Primary school in Adelaide is different! Whether you have good hearing or not, at this school you have to learn sign language! And there's a teacher signing in every lesson.

TEACHER: Okay, children can we stop talking, stop communicating please. That means you up the back with the Auslan too Matthew. Stop.

ALFIE TIEU, REPORTER: Sasha comes from a small town where she was the only deaf child. Her family moved to the city, just so she could go to this school.

SASHA, STUDENT (interpreted by teacher): I love it when people learn sign language, coz I can communicate and they can communicate with me. My goal is to be involved in arts, and dancing, performing and photography. I also love to surf.

ALFIE TIEU, REPORTER: Auslan is short for Australian Sign Language.

In the late 1980s it was recognised as an official language by the Federal Government. That meant Auslan could be taught at schools. After seeing all this I was keen to have a go. Rhys showed me how to spell my name.

ALFIE TIEU, REPORTER: So Peta did you end up signing words in the same order as you would in English?

PETA, STUDENT: No because English is a different language to sign language. So you like cut out words such as "and", "it's" and "is".

ALFIE TIEU, REPORTER: Ok so can you give me an example? How would you say for example, "The holidays are in one week's time?"

PETA, STUDENT (demonstrating): Holidays, when, one week's time.

ALFIE TIEU, REPORTER: Wow so you've cut seven words into three symbols? Great.

And it's not just about using your hands. Part of signing is using your face and body.

ALFIE TIEU, REPORTER: So, Sasha can you show me how you express emotions?

STUDENT INTERPRETING FOR SASHA: It's like all hearing expressions, like for deaf they involve, when you feel sad you're like, and when you're happy you're all like smiley and happy, and when you feel angry you're all like depressed.

ALFIE TIEU, REPORTER: Even just changing the shape of your eyebrows can show someone you're asking a question.

Awareness of Auslan is growing. Recently we've seen people signing next to politicians during emergency broadcasts. And the teachers here hope more schools will teach signing as a language. So who knows, perhaps playgrounds like this, are a sign of what's to come!

CLASS: Thank you BtN for visiting us! Goodbye.

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Many of you probably learn a language at school. But did you know there's a language where you don't write, speak or even listen. It's called Auslan the official name for sign language. And there's a school that's teaching it to all its pupils, not just those who are hearing-impaired.

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CATHERINE ELLIS, REPORTER: This probably looks just like your primary school at lunch time, but take a closer look. At this school, about thirteen of the kids are deaf or hearing impaired, but that doesn't stop them missing a thing!

You see, instead of learning Italian or French like you guys might all the students here learn Auslan, Australian Sign Language, so everyone can communicate.

In this class, Kerry the teacher chats away but next to her at all times is Jan, relaying all the info through her fingers and facial expressions. Kerry also wears a special microphone, which amplifies her voice through speakers.

Narges has a special device in her ear called a cochlear implant, which helps her hear more clearly. Without that, class would sound a little more like this: [deep echoey distortion]

Ian however doesn't hear sound at all. He's been deaf since birth. So just as we learnt to talk as babies, he learnt to communicate with his fingers.

IAN: My mum and dad are both deaf, my three sisters are all hearing and they can sign. My one little brother, he is deaf too.

But with help from Jan, Ian can join in any activity.

CATHERINE ELLIS, REPORTER: Now, when we're angry or sad or happy, it's pretty easy for us to let people know through our voice. So how do kids like Ian express themselves?

IAN: I sign when I'm angry, when I'm angry I use my facial expressions and people know from my body and my facial expression that I'm angry.

So what happens if he meets people outside school who don't know how to sign? Or when he meets a new buddy?

IAN: The guy will use body language and call me over and say do you want to play football and we get on together and when we're finished we write notes I have a small pad and pen in my pocket and we write notes back and forth and that's how we communicate.

Now Ian may not be able to talk or sing, but he's part of the school choir! These guys are on high demand. Ian's performed alongside stars from Dancing with the stars, Aus Idol's Guy Sebastian and royalty! Here they are with Queen Sylvia of Sweden!

Ian may never have heard a song or a siren at a sports match, but he plays footy, is in a choir and learns all same the stuff you guys do.

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It's pretty hard to imagine what it would be like not to be able to hear anything. Kids who are born deaf would never have heard a song before or heard the voices of their friends and family.

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You Tube is full of "sign language translated songs". Many are ASL or just key word signs for lyrics which in't the same as translated into Auslan with correct grammar use. Please be mindful of this when choosing songs to share with your class.

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You Tube is full of "sign language translated songs". Many are ASL or just key word signs for lyrics which in't the same as translated into Auslan with correct grammar use. Please be mindful of this when choosing songs to share with your class.

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This is ASL (American Sign Language) Can be used to demonstrate richness of Deaf Culture and that Deaf people have varied careers like everyone else.

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Finnish Rap Artist (not Auslan)

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Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop The Feeling" danced by Emma Watkins, Yellow Wiggle

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Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop The Feeling" danced by Emma Watkins, Yellow Wiggle

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Below you will finds some brief and basic facts about the history of Auslan. Interested readers will find much more information in Johnston, T., & Schembri, A. (2007). Australian Sign Language: An introduction to sign language linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

A natural language, not an invented one

Auslan was not invented by any single person, hearing or deaf. Any language, whether spoken or signed, grows and develops spontaneously in response to the communication needs of its users, particularly when it is used (1) by an entire community and (2) in communication between parents and children, and especially when that language is the child's first, or only, one.

British origins in the 19th century

Auslan has evolved from the sign languages brought to Australia during the nineteenth century from Britain and Ireland. Auslan has been called a dialect of British Sign Language (BSL) and, undoubtedly, the two sign languages are very closely related. It is, however, probably more correct to say that modern BSL and modern Auslan have both evolved from forms of BSL used in the early 1800s, particularly those forms of BSL associated with the large residential schools for the deaf of the time. The first known deaf person to introduce BSL to Australia was the engraver John Carmichael who moved to Sydney in 1825 from Edinburgh.

The importance of the early residential schools for the deaf

Schools for the deaf were established in Australia in the mid-nineteenth century. In 1860 Thomas Pattison, a deaf man educated at the Edinburgh Deaf and Dumb Institution began the Sydney school. At the same time another deaf man, Frederick Rose - who was educated at Old Kent Road School, London - founded the Melbourne school. Most of the schools for the deaf were residential and the majority of the students were boarders.

Evolution of an Australian dialect

Auslan has developed some distinct characteristics (in particular, some unique signs) since it first began to be used in Australia in the nineteenth century. New signs developed in the Australian deaf community, particularly in the residential schools for deaf children because signers may have had little contact with deaf communities in other parts of the country. Auslan has also had some influence from Irish Sign Language (ISL).

Early Irish influence

ISL was brought to Australia by Irish nuns who established the first school for Catholic deaf children in 1875. The Irish one-handed alphabet and a tradition of Irish-based signs was kept alive well into the middle of the twentieth century through private Catholic schools that used many Irish signs and one-handed fingerspelling, while public schools used Auslan signs (originally BSL) and two-handed fingerspelling. Separate education systems aside, the two communities mixed freely, with British based signing being undoubtedly the dominant linguistic influence.

Fingerspelling

A number of signs in modern Auslan clearly have their origins in ISL (and through ISL to the French and European signing tradition). Also as a consequence of this mixing and exposure to Irish-based signing, the one-handed alphabet (including its modern American form) does not feel quite so 'alien' to Auslan signers as one might expect. Initialised signs base on one-handed fingerspelling have been and continue to be accepted by this linguistic community, even though fingerspelling is regularly produced using the two-handed alphabet.

Two major dialects of Auslan

Though there are some minor differences between states, overall there are two main dialects of Auslan that have emerged as a consequence of the establishment of the two major residential schools for the deaf, one in Sydney (in the north) and one in Melbourne (in the south). The two sign dialects of north and south may reflect the original signing differences between the two deaf founder-teachers of the Sydney and Melbourne schools and the pattern of expansion and influence that the two schools (and cities) had. State and dialect differences are large enough to clearly mark someone's state of origin (and/or the school they attended) but are small enough not to seriously interfere with or hamper communication.

Modern Auslan is dynamic and changing

Today Auslan seems to be undergoing a period of rapid change. The enormous expansion of sign language interpreter services, especially in the area of secondary and tertiary education and in the delivery of governmental, legal and medical services, has put great demands on the language by both interpreters and deaf people themselves. These developments have produced three main responses: (i) attempts to standardise usage, (ii) the development of new signs to meet new needs, (iii) the borrowing of signs from other sign languages, particularly from American Sign Language (ASL).

Most members of the deaf community have a personal and political preference for drawing on the internal resources of Auslan to expand and develop its vocabulary. However, some Auslan signers either do not object to ASL borrowings (sometimes they do not even realize that some signs are borrowed from ASL) or are actually willing borrowers (new signs are adopted because they are sometimes seen as more prestigious). The fact that ASL signers also have English as the language of the wider community, as do Auslan signers, may encourage this process. Many borrowed ASL signs are technical and deal with vocabulary used in education and in written English. Nevertheless, many Auslan signers reject any attempts to introduce borrowed ASL signs when a perfectly good and adequate Auslan sign already exists.

Adapted from Johnston, T. (Ed.). (1998). Signs of Australia: A new dictionary of Auslan. North Rocks, NSW: North Rocks Press. (First published as Johnston, T. (1989). Auslan Dictionary: A dictionary of the sign language of the Australian deaf community. Sydney: Deafness Resources Australia.)

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Below you will finds some brief and basic facts about the history of Auslan. Interested readers will find much more information in Johnston, T., & Schembri, A. (2007). Australian Sign Language: An introduction to sign language linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Auslan was not invented by any single person, hearing or deaf.

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Auslan Signbank is a language resources site for Auslan (Australian Sign Language). Auslan is the language of the deaf community in Australia. Here you will find:

a dictionary

ability to search for signs related to medical and health topics

ability to search for signs related to educational and teaching topics

videos of deaf people using the listed Auslan signs

information on the deaf community in Australia

links to Auslan classes

Users of Auslan-deaf people, deaf students, sign language interpreters, students of Auslan, or a parents of deaf children-are invited to provide feedback to help improve the dictionary, using the links provided. Auslan is growing and changing all the time.

We apologise for the poor quality of some of the video clips and the slow download speeds currently found in Auslan Signbank.

However, with the financial support of the AMP Tomorrow Fund, the Ian Potter Foundation, the Australian Research Council we have been able to replace many of the poor quality videos with higher resolution ones. They can now also be viewed at normal speed or in slow motion. In addition, many new videos have also been added to Signbank by deafConnectEd (Melbourne Polytechnic) with funding from the Victorian Government Department of Education and Training. They have also added new entries with definitions in Auslan of specialised English educational terminology, and in some cases they have also added suggestions for how these terms could be represented using a short signed description.

We also hope to include on this site video clips of all of the examples used in the text-book on Auslan, e.g., how to make questions, statements, orders and requests, etc., (Johnston, T., & Schembri, A. 2007. Australian Sign Language (Auslan): An introduction to sign language linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).

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Auslan Signbank is a language resources site for Auslan (Australian Sign Language). Auslan is the language of the deaf community in Australia.

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Many people in the deaf community often ask "where did sign language come from?" Auslan teachers often get asked this question by their hearing students. Many deaf and hearing people think that hearing people invented sign languages. They think that these hearing people then taught sign language to deaf people in schools for deaf children. But this is not true. Sign languages used in deaf communities were created by deaf people.

How did this happen? Deaf people have probably always created "home sign systems" to communicate with their hearing family. Home sign systems are simple sign languages with a small vocabulary and not much grammar. When deaf people begin to meet each other and form a community, at first they use their home signs with each other. Slowly, a sign language starts to develop, as the community use the same signs for the same meanings. They begin to combine the signs to make sentences in the same way. The number of signs grows as they use the new language to talk about many new things, and rules of grammar begin to develop. This is when home sign systems become real sign languages.

Auslan is the language of the Australian deaf community. Although the signs used in different parts of the country are a little different, and the way older and younger deaf people sign is different, all of these sign language varieties are known as Auslan.

Auslan was not created by any single hearing or deaf person, but has grown along with the deaf community. It is a new name (created by Trevor Johnston in the early 1980s) for a language that has been used by deaf people for almost two hundred years. Auslan is related to British Sign Language (BSL). We know that British deaf people started to come to Australia in the 1790s. The first known British signing deaf person to live here was John Carmichael ¹. He arrived in Sydney in 1825 from Scotland. He went to a deaf school in Edinburgh, and was known as a good storyteller in sign language. This means deaf people were using sign language in Australia at least 35 years before the first schools were established in Australia (Thomas Pattison began the first school for deaf children in Australia in Sydney in 1860).

Deaf people have used sign language in Britain for many centuries. One of the earliest books on deaf people's sign language in Britain was written in1648 (more than 350 years ago) by a hearing man named John Bulwer. In this book, he talks about two deaf brothers who used sign language. We do not know if this sign language was the same as modern BSL, but some signs may have been similar. Another book by the hearing English writer Daniel Defoe was written in 1720. In this book, he talks about deaf people using sign language and fingerspelling. So in the 1600s and 1700s, deaf people were forming deaf communities in the large cities and towns in Britain, and BSL was emerging.

The first school for deaf children in the United Kingdom was opened in Scotland in 1760 by Thomas Braidwood ². We know that this school used sign language and fingerspelling. Where did the hearing teachers learn sign language? Although the teachers may have made up some signs, it is likely that hearing teachers learned most of their sign language from deaf people. We know that the famous Abbe de l'Epee (a French monk) who opened the first school for deaf children in Paris learned sign language from two deaf sisters ³. Later some signs from this French Sign Language were taken to the United States of America by Laurent Clerc. These French signs probably mixed with local American signs used by the deaf community from Martha's Vineyard to create American Sign Language (ASL).

So Auslan, BSL, French Sign Language and ASL were not created by these teachers. All of these sign languages began in deaf communities.
Notes and further reading

1. Carty, B. (2000). John Carmichael: Australian Deaf pioneer. In A. Schembri, J. Napier, R. Beattie & G. R. Leigh (Eds.), Proceedings of the Australasian Deaf Studies Research Symposium, Renwick College, Sydney, August 22-23, 1998. (pp. 9-20). Sydney: North Rocks Press.

2. Kyle, J., Woll, B., Pullen, G., & Maddix, F. (1985). Sign language: the study of deaf people and their language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

3. Lane, H. (1984). When the mind hears: A history of the deaf. New York: Random House.

Article written by Dr Adam Schembri
Dr Schembri is one of Australia's best known sign language linguists. This article was written for Deaf Australia (formerly AAD) and first published in AAD Outlook, Vol. 14, Issue 1, February 2005.

Information provided by Deaf Australia Inc. Reproduced with permission.

Disclaimer: The information contained on this website is not intended as a substitute for independent professional advice.

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Where Did Sign Languages Come From | Aussie Deaf Kids

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Many people in the deaf community often ask "where did sign language come from?" Auslan teachers often get asked this question by their hearing students. Many deaf and hearing people think that hearing people invented sign languages. They think that these hearing people then taught sign language to deaf people in schools for deaf children.

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Change the spoken word for each fruit to the sign and play the game with voices off.  Fruit signs I've used before are apple, orange, banana, watermelon, pineapple, strawberry and grapes. You could play this game with 4 or more signs from any theme - vegetables, family members, food in general, days of the week, numbers etc

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Find Sign is an Auslan Search Engine. It helps find Auslan resources from around the internet in one place.

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I bought a few of these when they were available in Kmart. Unfortunately Kmart no longer stocks them :( Could use these to experience how hard it is to lip read.

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Who knows what's going to come out of your teammate's mouth? The Hearing things game, Hasbros twist on the online viral ""Whisper Challenge"" sensation has you guessing what you think your teammate is saying by reading their lips. One player puts on the speech-cancelling electronic headphones and the other player says the random phrase shown on the card such as, ""Pigeons like to cuddle"" or ""Youre the champ of the camp "". The game headphones limit the players ability to hear what their teammate is saying out loud, and the player has to figure it out to earn the card. The player with the most cards wins. The game comes with speech-cancelling electronic game headphones, and 150 cards with 600 phrases.

" Includes 1 set of game headphones with built-in sounds and timer, 150 cards, and game guide.

" Lip-reading challenge game
" Take turns wearing speech-cancelling electronic headphones
" Includes 150 cards with 600 phrases

" Ages 12 and up
" For 4 -8 players.
" Requires 2 x 1.5V AAA alkaline batteries. (batteries not included.)

Buy

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hearing things game; hearing things; whisper challenge; hasbro games; board games

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Who knows what's going to come out of your teammate's mouth? The Hearing things game, Hasbros twist on the online viral ""Whisper Challenge"" sensation has you guessing what you think your teammate is saying by reading their lips.

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Noise metre uses microphone in computer to display noise level in fun way on a classroom interactive whiteboard or TV

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Bouncy Balls – Manage classroom noise with bouncing balls!

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A free classroom noise level meter, monitor and management tool. Perfect if your school kids are too noisy! Bouncing balls react to sounds from the microphone.

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My first attempt at a Kahoot Quiz for Auslan

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These games utilise Vivid Expressions resources such as handshape flash cards

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Online Store

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Vivid Expressions - a wonderful online shop with awesome Auslan products like cards, flashcards, posters and more!

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RIDBC Left Handed and Right Handed Alphabet Resources

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RIDBC Left Handed and Right Handed Alphabet Resources

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PDF and video resources. Realte to the RIDBC Auslan Spelling Bee.

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StorySign now available for Apple iOS devices too!

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StorySign now available for Apple iOS devices too!

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StorySign helps to open the world of books to deaf children. It translates children's books into sign language, to help deaf children learn how to read.

There are 32 million deaf children in the world, many of whom struggle to learn to read. One of the main reasons being that deaf children can struggle to match printed words with the concepts they represent. With StorySign, we help change that.

HOW DOES STORYSIGN WORK?

Please make sure you have a physical copy of the book for StorySign to scan and bring to life.

STEP 1 - Download the app and click on the selected book from the StorySign Library

STEP 2 - Hold your smartphone over the words on the page of the book's physical copy, and our friendly signing avatar, Star, signs the story as the printed words are highlighted

StorySign is a free iOS app, that translates children's books into 14 different sign languages: American Sign Language (ASL), British Sign Language (BSL), Australian Sign Language (Auslan), French Sign Language (LSF), German Sign Language (DSG), Italian Sign Language (LSI), Spanish Sign Language (LSE), Portuguese Sign Language (LGP), Dutch Sign Language (NGT), Irish Sign Language (ISL), Belgian Flemish Sign Language (VGT), Belgian French Sign Language (LSFB), Swiss French Sign Language (LSF) and Swiss German Sign Language (DSGS).

So far, the app offers five popular children's books for each local sign language, including much-loved best-selling titles from Eric Hill's Spot series.

StorySign, a Huawei initiative, has been developed in close partnership with local deaf associations, deaf schools and the European Union of the Deaf, designed by Aardman Animations, and developed with classic children's titles from Penguin Books.

Information

Seller

Aardman Animations Ltd

Compatibility

Requires iOS 9.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Languages

English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swiss German

Copyright

© 2019 Aardman Animations Ltd

Family Sharing

Up to six family members will be able to use this app with Family Sharing enabled.

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‎StorySign helps to open the world of books to deaf children. It translates children's books into sign language, to help deaf children learn how to read. There are 32 million deaf children in the world, many of whom struggle to learn to read. One of the main reasons being that deaf children can...

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Written by Cassie (Teach Starter)

Do you know the number of kids in your class who are from an EALD (English as an Additional Language) background?

How many of your students require support for literacy, social skills or concentration?

What about the kids who are deaf or hard of hearing? Or those who have family members who are?

Did you know that Teachers hold the experiences of each of their students in their hearts - we enter our classrooms each day knowing that our job is to support young people as they learn about the world, learn about themselves and grow into the best version of themselves that they can be. Inclusivity is, of course, such an important part of this and there is so much that we need to be aware of. This week is Hearing Awareness Week. It culminates in World Hearing Day this Saturday, March 3. Here at Teach Starter, we want to join in the voices, both spoken and signed, that are helping to make truly hearing inclusive classrooms a common part of mainstream schools across the world.
Make your classroom buzz! Create a free Teach Starter account and download hundreds of time-saving resources. Find out more
Do Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants Make Inclusivity Happen Automatically?

Many teachers make the assumption that physical aids such as cochlear implants or hearing aids make inclusivity in the classroom just "happen". However, for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (particularly those whose hearing loss began after their linguistic development), relying on a physical aid in order to be a part of the "hearing world" can sometimes feel like a mask they need to put on in order to fit in. When what hard of hearing students really need is to see is that their language, and the culture of their language, is a valued part of their classroom community. Just as you would acknowledge and celebrate the diversity of all languages and cultures in your class.

Children pick up sign language quickly and easily. It really is something teachers can integrate into their regular lessons, without having to "find extra time to teach it".

Sign Language in the Classroom

Integrating sign language into your classroom displays, activities and communication is an important part of making a classroom truly accessible and inclusive.

The easiest and best way to teach sign language is through integration, not isolation.

Have you got the alphabet and numbers displayed across the top of your board? Add fingerspelling and number sign pictures to the displays. When you speak about a number, a letter or phoneme in class, sign the letters and numbers as you speak about them.

Do you have a clock display? Stick time sign pictures around it, beside each of the digits on the clock. When you speak about "going to the library at 11 am", practise signing "11 am".

In Australia, our native sign language is called Auslan. If you still need convincing of just how wonderful it is to teach young people this language, take 5 and watch this BTN video about signing on the ABC website. Or find out why Emma Wiggle has made Auslan interpreter videos a part of The Wiggles concerts!

How to Integrate Auslan Basics into Your Classroom

Auslan is a language - just like French, Spanish or Mandarin, it's a new language that is accessible to us all. Auslan is not only for Deaf or hard of hearing people and their families. After teaching your students the basics of fingerspelling and numbers, you can easily incorporate basic Auslan into your regular classroom activities.

Try out a spoken and signed Maths warm up for your lower years students - counting to ten or counting in 2s both verbally and in sign language.

Set an Auslan homework task - ask students to teach a member of their family how to fingerspell their own name.

Add fingerspelling to sight word practice - students can fingerspell as they sound out their sight words.

During Maths rotations, have students both speak and sign the answers to operation questions.

To help you make the integration of Auslan as easy as teaching the spoken alphabet, we are creating a fantastic Auslan Teaching Resource Collection. Here are some of the wonderful activities that are available to download right now.

Do You Know Your Hands? Activity

This is a great activity for students to do before they begin to learn sign language. The Do You Know Your Hands? Poster can be used in conjunction with the Do You Know Your Hands? Worksheets to help students learn the anatomy of their hands. Here are links to each of these teaching resource downloads:

When your students are learning how to fingerspell, you can use this fun Fingerspellathon Activity as a way to ensure they practise what they have learnt. This download comes with fun certificates that you can present to students who complete the Fingerspellathon.

Making Auslan an integral part of your students' learning experiences is supported by having Auslan classroom display resources up in your classroom. Add the Auslan language to your visible classroom with these great printable resources.

Adding these beautifully illustrated Auslan Number Bunting and Auslan Alphabet Bunting to the number and alphabet displays in your classroom is a simple way to increase the visibility of sign language in your classroom community.

How amazing is this Auslan Analogue Clock?! Print and display this clock beside your regular clock, or use the Ausland time cards to stick around your regular clock. This classroom resource is available in both Northern and Southern Auslan Dialects.

Posters, Flashcards and More...

Characteristics of a Hearing Aware Classroom

There are some other simple ways you can ensure your classroom is inclusive. Many of the following tips will benefit students from EALD backgrounds, those with diagnosed learning needs and students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Ensuring that videos you show are captioned, or that you use the accessibility options that are built into many Microsoft and Apple products.

Use voice amplification devices such as those from Thinc Products (who offer a great discount through the Teach Starter VIP Club).

Consider the seating arrangements in your classroom, to ensure students who are deaf or hard of hearing can see your face and lips, and hear your voice easily.

Reduce background noise by closing windows or doors when needed.

You may want to bookmark our Auslan Teaching Resource Collection.
Make sure you check in to see new resources when they are added too!
Make your classroom buzz! Create a free Teach Starter account and download hundreds of time-saving resources. Find out more

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Hearing Awareness Week 2018 | Auslan in the Classroom

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Written by Cassie (Teach Starter) Do you know the number of kids in your class who are from an EALD (English as an Additional Language) background? How many of your students require support for literacy, social skills or concentration? What about the kids who are deaf or hard of hearing?

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Examples of questions and conversation starters. I am going to use this and pause after the text for students to have a try at signing then unpause and play the Auslan version for them to check how they are going. Or vice Versa - play Auslan portion first and ask them to translate it to English and check if they are right.

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Examples of questions and conversation starters. I am going to use this and pause after the text for students to have a try at signing then unpause and play the Auslan version for them to check how they are going. Or vice Versa - play Auslan portion first and ask them to translate it to English and check if they are right.

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Auslan Storytime is aimed at children who sign or are learning to sign who enjoy having stories told to them in Auslan.

The stories are mainly aimed at younger children who are still acquiring Auslan. We have carefully chosen RIDBC students to tell the stories in their own words in a way that younger children would enjoy.

The app is also beneficial to parents or teachers wanting to learn more about how to tell stories in Auslan in a way that is interesting for young children to watch.

When you click on a story, you have two options. One is to watch the story being told. The other is to watch an Auslan tips video. In this video, a native Deaf signer explains some of the ways the RIDBC students have made their stories interesting to children and how the grammar of Auslan is used in the stories, such as changing the directions of verbs or using constructed action. This helps parents or teachers learn more Auslan to be better able to read stories to their own children or students.

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Auslan Storytime is aimed at children who sign or are learning to sign who enjoy having stories told to them in Auslan. The stories are mainly aimed at younger children who are still acquiring Auslan. We have carefully chosen RIDBC students to tell the stories in their own words in a way that younger children would enjoy.

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Signs and Sounds has been developed to assist those who are learning Auslan and serves as an additional resource to apps such as Auslan Tutor and other Auslan based resources. The user is able to watch signs of different objects taken from a variety of places and situations outside or around the home. Videos include the finger spelt words to aid finger spelling learning. The option to listen to the sound each object makes or sound of each object is also available.
Categories include:

Wild animals

Farm animals

Domestic animals

Australian animals

Garden

Transport

Musical instruments

Orchestral instruments

Safety

Household

Weather

Park

In the 'Which Sign?' section, you can test your knowledge of signs by matching the correct sign to the corresponding picture, chosen at random. The sign can be played at normal speed, slowed down or a sound can be played of the object.

We have included an additional resource to help those with fingerspelling. You can view all the different signs for each letter of the alphabet.

For general enquiries or support

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Signs and Sounds has been developed to assist those who are learning Auslan and serves as an additional resource to apps such as Auslan Tutor and other Auslan based resources. The user is able to watch signs of different objects taken from a variety of places and situations outside or around the home.

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This site provides a resource Thumbs Up! An Introduction to New Zealand Sign Language that supports the teaching and learning of NZSL as an additional language in English-medium schools. It is designed for students in years 7-8 working at curriculum levels 1 and 2.

NZSL is used by members of New Zealand's Deaf community and those linked with this community, for example, hearing people who have Deaf relatives or interpreters who work with Deaf people.

New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) is recognised as an official language of New Zealand through the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006. For this reason NZSL has special mention in The New Zealand Curriculum (2007). As Deaf people come to have more people to communicate with, our society becomes more inclusive.

The navigation tabs at the top of this page provide access all parts of the resource. The introduction provides links to background information about NZSL, Deaf culture and parts of this Thumbs Up! resource. You can access individual lessons from units, view video clips from the video gallery, and download worksheets from classroom resources.

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This site provides a resource Thumbs Up! An Introduction to New Zealand Sign Language that supports the teaching and learning of NZSL as an additional language in English-medium schools. It is designed for students in years 7-8 working at curriculum levels 1 and 2.

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This site has a finger spelling game, a place to type a word and hae it animated, create an Auslan word search and more

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Australian Sign Language (AUSLAN) Discussion Board

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Australian Sign Language Discussion Forum & Chat Rooms

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Australian Sign Language Forum - Practice, share, & discuss AUSLAN. Videos, message boards, chatrooms, & lots more. A great site for anyone learning Australian Sign Language.

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IWdeaf2020

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Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children

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‎Auslan Storytime is aimed at children who sign or are learning to sign who enjoy having stories told to them in Auslan. The stories are mainly aimed at younger children who are still acquiring Auslan. We have carefully chosen RIDBC students to tell the stories in their own words in a way that you…

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Alpacas with Maracas by Matt Consgrove. Australian Simultaneous Storytime

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Alpacas with Maracas by Matt Consgrove. Australian Simultaneous Storytime

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Communication Republic is a member of Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

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Tips for communicating with a Deaf person

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Tips for communicating with a Deaf person

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Deaf Chidldren Australia Auslan Finger Spelling

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Deaf Chidldren Australia Auslan Finger Spelling

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Driver's licence / Driving and traffic signs

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Driver's licence / Driving and traffic signs

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Are you being heard in your classroom? tips for teachers

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Are you being heard in your classroom? tips for teachers

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Good teaching strategies for teachers with deaf and hard of hearing students.

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Good teaching strategies for teachers with deaf and hard of hearing students.

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Describing words for people with hearing loss

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Describing words for people with hearing loss

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Learn Auslan in SA through Deaf Connect 

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Learn Auslan in SA through Deaf Connect 

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Beginner Classes in Auslan - Deaf Connect

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Auslan Teaching Resources | Rainbow Hands

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Learn about the early childhood sector and the role of the Early Childhood Education and Care division, and our network of early childhood offices. You will also find a collection of news, updates, our publications and research.

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Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children

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‎Auslan Storytime is aimed at children who sign or are learning to sign who enjoy having stories told to them in Auslan. The stories are mainly aimed at younger children who are still acquiring Auslan. We have carefully chosen RIDBC students to tell the stories in their own words in a way that you…

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Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children

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‎NextSense Auslan Tutor: Key Signs
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Learn how to communicate 150 common Auslan signs, like “please,” “thanks,” and “how are you?” Each sign is clearly presented, with a photo of the handshape used to form the sign and a video clip demonstrating how the sign is…

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Whether you want to learn a new way to communicate with a deaf or hard of hearing loved one or are just interested in learning sign language-Auslan Tutor 2 is the best place to begin.

Start your learning for free with the Key Signs 1 pack, featuring more than 100 of the most popular and commonly used signs. Then, grow your library as you learn through extension packs that are relevant to you and your life.

Easily find the sign you're looking for by searching our library with an English keyword, the sign handshape, or location. All signs link to a range of helpful information on location, shape, usage, and grammar, to help you learn the language. This information is displayed on screen along with a handy video guide.

We will regularly update our library and add more signs via in-app purchases, so keep up to date with changes in our shop section.

Key features of the new and improved application are:

- new signs, including up-to-date key signs, specific behaviour signs, descriptive signs, mathematics, and more
- the ability to save your favourite signs and keep track of signs you are learning or want to learn
- an improved search mechanism that allows you to search signs by handshape, body location, and state location
- a video feature, which includes the ability to loop, slow down, and show variants of each sign
- a daily 'sign of the day' notification
- the ability to browse signs by category
- an enhanced alphabet and numbers display - and much more.

The Auslan Tutor 2 app was developed by language and technology experts at NextSense, in consultation with our community. The app features well-respected deaf teacher and 2020 Deaf Australian of the Year, Shirley Lui.

Possible update

Is it possible to make somewhere to request words and anything else, I've gotten this app to try be inclusive to those who come to my work place and there's so many things are not on here that would be very helpful and actually make sense to use!

Hello, thank you for your feedback. Yes, we do have a section in the app where you can request words. You can find this on the Settings page, under "Request a sign/word". We regularly review these requests, and it helps us when compiling new word packs.

Great app

I have Auslan tutor so I wanted to get Auslan tutor 2 but can't sign in, so I made an account. It keeps saying there is an error every time, please fix this! Thanks for reading Have a great day :)

Ignore previous review, works amazingly to build your vocab in Auslan!!
I didn't need to sign in, just opened the app a few days later.

Hello, thank you for downloading Auslan Tutor 2 and supporting our app. We are very sorry to know you're experiencing issues making an account. We would really like to investigate this for you. If you could please contact us at apps@nextsense.org.au, with details of the issue you are having, we can look into this for you. Thanks

Updated my iphone software and now app works perfectly!

Ignore previous negative review. I just needed a software update on my phone. Works brilliantly now. Best thing is you can see 180 degrees angles so you can see the handshapes used. This is better than Signbank!

The developer, Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, indicated that the app's privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer's privacy policy.

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

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royal institute for deaf and blind children

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‎Whether you want to learn a new way to communicate with a deaf or hard of hearing loved one or are just interested in learning sign language-Auslan Tutor 2 is the best place to begin. Start your learning for free with the Key Signs 1 pack, featuring more than 100 of the most popular and commonly us...

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We are seeking Expressions of Interest for Casual Auslan Tutors who wish to join our dedicated team, you can read the position description here.

About DCA

Deaf Children Australia's (DCA's) purpose is to remove barriers to the personal development and social exclusion faced by children and young people who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HoH). Our mission is to inspire and empower D/HoH children and young people to reach their full potential. In achieving DCA's vital work, our organisation, staff, and volunteers uphold the following values; Respectful, Accountable, Cooperative, and Committed to Service.

About this role

As a DCA Auslan Tutor, you will provide individualised Auslan tuition to support, develop and enhance Auslan language skills at all levels to deaf and hard of hearing people and their families. Auslan tuition can be delivered in a variety of community and home-based situations, both one-to-one, family and group settings. The role may include teaching Auslan language skills to people from varied language and cultural backgrounds, in addition to teaching in various workplace settings to co-workers where people who are deaf and hard of hearing are employed. In addition to session delivery during business hours, Auslan Tutors must be prepared to deliver tuition after hours and during weekends as negotiated.

Benefits in Working with DCA

A career with Deaf Children Australia will offer you rewarding experiences to make a difference to the lives of people in our community who are deaf or hard of hearing. We have a high energy and supportive culture guided by our values.

About you

To be successful in this role you will need to demonstrate your ability to meet the Selection Criteria outlined below:

Fluency in Auslan (essential);

Diploma of Auslan (desirable);

Experience in Teaching/Tutoring Auslan (desirable);

Highly developed written communication and interpersonal skills

Demonstrated ability to assess participant needs, develop, monitor, review and implement relevant programs and to measure participant performance against agreed objectives

Excellent customer service skills with commitment to ensuring a positive, professional customer experience

Strong capacity to work autonomously

Strong time management and organisational skills with ability to plan work effectively while demonstrating flexibility to meet individual needs

Capacity to facilitate and engage in group service delivery, including workshops and presentations

Proven experience in record keeping including an ability to maintain confidential information and maintain program paperwork

Ability to act as a Deaf role model for participants and their families

Sound values that reflect DCA's mission and vision

Current driver's licence and ability to utilise own vehicle

Demonstrated physical capability to perform job requirements

Strong understanding, knowledge and experience of the Deaf community and culture

Deaf Children Australia is a Child Safe organisation. Accordingly, the successful candidate will need to be willing to undertake the following checks and clearances;

Working with Children Check

Police Check (International Police Check if applicable)

Disability Workers Exclusion Scheme Check

Deaf Children Australia welcomes diversity in all its forms and greatly encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates.

Candidates who are available to work after school hours and weekends are encouraged to apply.

To express interest in this position, please email your Resume and Cover Letter to: jobs@deafchildren.org.au (please include position title in email subject line)

Please note, we reserve the right to close or extend this advertisement depending on the number and quality of applications received. Therefore, we urge all suitable candidates to submit their application as early as possible.

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The Platypus Playhouse: A sensory experience for Deaf children.

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Let your little ones have a blast while learning and socialising with Deaf Children Australia's Platypus Playhouse. Sign up today!

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UPDATE NEWS - JULY 2023

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*** JULY 2023 UPDATE - Currently creating two Auslan Grammar e-books and videos - "Introduction to Depicting Signs" and "Introduction to Sign Modifications" - please subscribe to our Newsletter if you'd like to be notified when they're available ***

LESSON PLANS AND RESOURCES FOR TEACHING AUSLAN

click to enter

AUSLAN IN THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM
to help organise your Auslan lesson planning

click to enter

FREE AUSLAN RESURCES FOR YOUR CLASSROOM

click to enter

AND FINGERSPELLING ACTIVITY IDEAS AUSLAN FONTS

new American Sign Language Fonts are now available

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Online Auslan Courses now available in

www.helloauslan.com.au

Auslan Fingerspelling Game Challenge!

Would you like to be notified when new Auslan resources being added in here?

Like and Follow our Facebook page @auslanresources or join in our newsletterhere

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Auslan Resources and Fonts for the Australian Curriculum