Auslan News

Molesworth St Campus

From Caen Chang, Junior School Auslan teacher

How You Can Encourage Signing at Home?

It’s hard to believe we have reached Week 10 and the end of Term 1! I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all students and families for your ongoing support throughout the term. It has been such a pleasure teaching your children Auslan and watching their confidence, skills, and enthusiasm grow each week.

Our Prep students have been learning family signs, and this has been a very meaningful and engaging topic for them. Students have loved learning how to sign words such as mum, dad, brother, sister, and more, and many have been excited to share about their own families.

This learning is particularly valuable because it allows students to connect Auslan to their home life, making learning more personal and meaningful. Building their Auslan vocabulary in a way that is relevant to their everyday experiences allows them to develop confidence in expressing themselves and sharing about their world. It is clear that through practise they are strengthening their memory and recall by linking the signs to the people they know and love. 

It has been wonderful to see students proudly signing about their families and beginning to form simple signed phrases. This type of learning helps students see Auslan as a real and useful language, not just something we learn at school.

Our Year 1 and Year 2 students have been learning medical signs, and I have been incredibly impressed with the maturity and respect they have shown during this unit.

Students have learned signs related to health, feelings, and common medical situations, and have engaged thoughtfully in discussions about when and why we might use these signs. This topic has encouraged students to think about how Auslan can be used in important real-life situations.

Learning medical signs is highly valuable for students as it helps them develop practical communication skills that can be used in real-life situations. Through this learning, students build awareness of how to express their needs, feelings, and overall wellbeing, which is essential for everyday interactions. They also practise using respectful and appropriate communication when discussing health-related topics. Additionally, engaging in role-play and class activities strengthens their ability to respond confidently in a range of different scenarios, supporting both their language development and personal safety.

How You Can Encourage Signing at Home?

You can continue supporting your child’s Auslan learning over the holidays and beyond by:

• Asking your child to teach you family signs or medical signs
• Encouraging your child to sign about their family members
• Using simple signs in daily routines (e.g., greetings, feelings, needs)
• Talking about how they are feeling and practising the related signs

• Practising short signed conversations together

   

Even small, regular practice helps build confidence and keeps skills strong.

Thank you again for a wonderful term. I hope you all have a safe, relaxing, and happy break, and I look forward to continuing our Auslan learning journey next term!