/r/auslan

Photograph via snooOG

All about Auslan (Australian Sign Language), the predominant language of the Australian Deaf Community.

All about Auslan (Australian Sign Language), the predominant language of the Australian Deaf Community.

Useful links:

/r/auslan

2,432 Subscribers

6

Anyone want to be snap friends and practice Auslan together?

Looking for signing mates to improve my sentence structure and not just use single words! HMU if interested šŸ˜

3 Comments
2024/10/25
05:56 UTC

21

What happened to Auslan being taught in primary schools?

I personally remember learning Auslan and Signed English in my primary school when i was quite young (year prep-1). I left the school after the first year but I've been to many other schools, as well as hearing about other's schools now that I'm in secondary college. And NOT ONCE did i hear about anyone learning auslan. heck I don't know anyone who knows a single word in auslan.
even in my old primary school, for like half a year our auslan classes disspeared before being replaced with a new teacher.

9 Comments
2024/10/23
07:13 UTC

6

Can a hearing person with other communication disabilities teach Auslan to their partner?

I'm an autistic person, my hearing is fine but I struggle to clearly hear one voice if there's lots of background noise, all the sounds in the environment kind of blur together, which makes communication difficult at parties and other loud events.

I've completed my Cert IV in Auslan and have involved myself in the Deaf community plenty over the years so I can communicate very comfortably in Auslan. I've always said no when hearing friends have asked me to teach them and I direct them to places they can learn from Deaf people.

I would never be a teacher of Auslan in any official capacity but if my partner could understand me when I sign it would make social events a LOT more accessible for me, and her job is far too demanding to allow time for her to attend classes or events with Deaf people.

Would it be appropriate for me to teach her to sign just for my own accessibility needs? She understands that it would inappropriate to use Auslan with hearing people outside of our relationship without any input from the Deaf community so she would only ever sign with me, but my life would be so much easier if I could sign with my partner...

3 Comments
2024/10/21
05:39 UTC

18

How does everyone feel about the Auslan app?

Iā€™m a person with autism/adhd/cptsd who has full hearing but Iā€™ve just subscribed to the Auslan app to start learning sign language and Iā€™m genuinely loving it! I canā€™t wait to meet people who sign. In my experience itā€™s such a great way of communicating and stimming and all the signs are making sense.

Iā€™m not really a ā€œgo getterā€ but this has been a lovely app to use in my experience.

23 Comments
2024/09/29
22:45 UTC

8

Can you still sign without control over facial expressions?

A little context I've started learning auslan to better communicate with my autistic partner who struggles with speaking.

I'm not sure if it's my ADHD or something else but I am really struggling to control my mouth movements for non-manual features in auslan. While my partner doesn't care, and I will always try my best for everyone, how significantly do you think it will affect communication with most auslan users?

(From googling most peoples reaction to not using proper facial expressions is a crime against the auslan community, so I'm worried)

3 Comments
2024/09/26
13:12 UTC

4

Auslan alphabet font

Hi! I was curious if there is a font that can be downloaded for the Auslan alphabet?

For reference, here in the US Gallaudet University released a font for ASL.

2 Comments
2024/09/17
11:12 UTC

10

ABC looking to talk to Deaf and hard of hearing Australians about hard of hearing Kpop band Big Ocean

I'm a journalist with the ABC doing a story about the first hard of hearing Kpop group Big Ocean.

I'm interested in talking to Deaf and hard of hearing Australians to find out what they think about the band.

Anyone up for having a chat? Please feel free to send me a message.

Thanks!

8 Comments
2024/09/17
03:45 UTC

4

Is Signed English still used at all?

I'm wondering if anyone can tell me how much (if at all) Signed English is still used in Australia (particularly in schools)? 20 years ago I was fluent in SE, but haven't really used it in the last 15 or so years as I haven't been around deaf people. I can have a basic conversation in Auslan but I am nowhere near fluent. So basically I'm wanting to know if there is still any use for Signed English at all?

8 Comments
2024/09/13
05:52 UTC

6

Perth courses for families?

I've recently lost my hearing. Having trouble communicating with my children and really no idea where to start. Any organisation or people recommendations greatly appreciated thanks šŸ˜Š

6 Comments
2024/09/05
07:44 UTC

8

Where/at

Hi all, I'm learning Auslan and watched an interview as part of my course. The man and woman were both deaf and even on .5x speed it was hard to keep up! It LOOKED like the woman used the sign for 'where' in space of 'at', she mouthed the word at a disadvantage the subtitles said at but she used the sign for where. Today in class we were practising a conversation about a son learning to sign at school. It was "my boy learn Auslan where school" My teacher who is deaf explained this as kind of like asking and answering a question at the same time (he is learning-where? School). I am wondering if it's appropriate to say/mouth 'at' when signing where in this kind of sentence, since it bridge the gap between my English and Asulan grammar in my mind. Is where used as 'at' like I saw in the interview?

5 Comments
2024/08/29
13:06 UTC

2

BSL interpreter moving to Aus

Iā€™m wondering if anyone knows anything about converting to Auslan from BSL. Would I just need to get all certificates from the start again or is there a way to skip a step or 2? And whatā€™s life like as an Australian interpreter?

4 Comments
2024/08/16
15:15 UTC

4

Northern Dialect Auslan course for teenagers?

Hello,

I was wondering if there were any good Auslan courses for teenagers (younger teens in particular) for a cheaper price / that don't require NDIS (me and my sister are eligible but parents don't want us registered on it) . The majority of the courses are either face-to-face, during school hours, online but in southern dialect, or over $100 per person per lesson (unless I'm just reading the sites wrong if so oops). I've got the Auslan Tutor app but it's hard to know what to learn first and even if I'm learning the right stuff bc it doesn't specify what dialect it is.

If anyone knows any online courses that would accept 17 - 13 yrs, websites or other resources and work on a teenagers budget please let me know, I would appreciate it so much!

1 Comment
2024/08/10
10:20 UTC

3

Looking for Auslan interpreter for small community concert in Melbourne

Hello,

I run a series of events called SPACE which are gigs that are run by and for people with disabilities and access needs. I am looking for an easy going and professional freelance interpreter who would like to sign 3 half hour sets on a Saturday afternoon on October 12th. There will be 20 minute breaks in between sets where no interpreting will be required, so it is safe OHS wise for a single interpreter to attend. We have a small amount of funding so definitely able and wanting to pay the standard rates for prep work and signing on the day. We do our best to get lyrics and recordings to interpreters with plenty of time, but also as all our artists have differing needs we give them some leeway as well so there may be some on the fly interpreting too.

Please email me at spacebanh [at] gmail [.] com if you are interesting in helping out.

You can look at more details and see our previous concerts at spacenaarm.com

Thanks!

Darlene - SPACE coordinator

Edit: I should have mentioned that we have done two events both with Auslan interpreters, one through an agency that quite a few people recommend and once through someone doing freelance, so Iā€™m aware of what we need to do to provide a safe and manageable environment, we also provide dinner to all our workers on top of paying fairly. I just really prefer working with freelancers over groups for a few reasons. I do appreciate recommendations for agencies that you have actually had experience with and can personally recommend. Iā€™m aware of places like Auslan Stage Left.

9 Comments
2024/08/08
11:46 UTC

12

My 12yr old wants to learn Auslan

My 12yr old hearing son has an big interest in learning Auslan. I've only been able to find courses that start from 16years old. What are some good recommendations for him to begin his education in Auslan? Looking for any in-person or online resources that can help him get involved. Thanks so much for any recommendations. We are in Brisbane Queensland.

10 Comments
2024/08/06
23:52 UTC

6

Random: in auslan do people say "Pardon me" after farting?

Context im teaching my toddler auslan as her vocab develops. She has just randomly started saying pardon me when she farts (which is adorable) but it got me thinking do people who use auslan say pardon me for farting? or because it originated for the deaf its not a thing?

5 Comments
2024/08/06
09:27 UTC

5

Looking to learn 80s song

Iā€™m a kinder teacher who has enjoyed trying to insert Auslan into music for children. Is there anyone who could teach me a song (I have a specific one in mind) in Auslan that I can teach my children? Potentially would be willing to pay for your time. Could video yourself signing the song and I could learn that way. If anyone knows of a person or place who could help facilitate please feel free to share.

5 Comments
2024/08/05
08:11 UTC

2

Auslan cuss words

Hi lovely people I upload musical covers and I like to incorporate Auslan signs while I sing Do any of you know the most appropriate way to sign ā€œfuck youā€ or at least ā€œstuff youā€? I am going to perform a rendition of ā€œforget youā€ by ceelo green

I want to do this in a way that is not offensive to the deaf community.

Thank yā€™all

4 Comments
2024/07/31
13:17 UTC

1

Is there any good books on learning auslan?

Iā€™m really interested in picking up this skill, I just donā€™t know where to start. Does anybody have any good books they can recommend for a competent beginner?

6 Comments
2024/07/26
11:33 UTC

5

I keep mixing up "Where" and "When"!!

I keep forgetting that 'When' is the tapping in the cheek, and always use the 'Where' symbol for it instead.

Does anyone have any tips and tricks for remembering this??

I don't seem to have the issue with who, what, or why, I think because I just use those signs more often that they've already integrated into my mind.

2 Comments
2024/07/26
00:07 UTC

4

Help with "below" for work signals

I work as an arborist, climbing trees with chainsaw. Mostly pruning branches away from powerlines. We shout the commands "Below" "Under" and "Clear" to communicate for safety. Sometimes noise pollution makes it hard to hear each other, so I want to trial hand signals. I'd like to use Auslan where possible. I found Under and Clear but couldn't find anything for Below. Does anyone have any suggestions?

10 Comments
2024/07/25
10:03 UTC

5

Auslan online

Hi guys,

Iā€™m studying OT in uni and have always wanted to do a course with a certificate. This just seems too good to be true? Has anyone this course? Is it legit?

Thanks šŸ¤©

3 Comments
2024/07/12
03:06 UTC

4

Does anyone know if 'Australian Sign Language: An introduction to sign language linguistics' by Trevor Johnston and Adam Schmembri is a good source to learn Auslan as an absolute beginner?

I've borrowed this book from the local library in adelaide because I've heard that textbooks are better than online sources for learning a language.
I'm especially weary of online cources for Auslan because I need to learn the different sentence structure, not just the signs.
I have no previous experience learning Auslan or any other language aside from at high school.

EDIT: Thanks for clarifying things for me. I found an Auslan tutor app on my phone that I'm going to be using now.

4 Comments
2024/07/09
06:34 UTC

3

Practice reading Auslan

Hi all,

Iā€™ve been self learning Auslan for a while now with YouTube videos and signbank.

I found it so hard to understand others sign language. Like I know how to sign certain word when I need to express myself, but super hard to link those Auslan to words when I see it.

Is there any free/low cost resources where I can practice reading or do quizzes on Auslan?

Thanks a lot,

5 Comments
2024/06/29
14:12 UTC

7

Advice please!

Im completely hearing and no one in my family is hard of hearing or deaf ect. But a lot of my customers that come into work are. Iā€™ve always wanted to learn sign language so I can help make those who use auslan feel more comfortable and make communication easier for them.

This is something Iā€™ve considered for a while but i donā€™t want to accidentally learn the wrong signs for things ect or offend anyone! Iā€™m also interested in bringing up my child with auslan as a second language. Is there anywhere I can learn auslan that is a trusted site?

5 Comments
2024/06/29
13:00 UTC

1

Help with a sign

Hi there,

So I'm a new support worker for a non-verbal client and I was just wondering if anyone would know what this sign he used recently. Started around chest level with both hands together then seperated in a semi-circle motion downward. I thought It might have been rainbow but that only uses 1 hand.

11 Comments
2024/06/28
04:29 UTC

1

Where do I start?

Hey all,

I don't know how to start this post I am hearing always have been and hearing loss/deafness does not run in my family geneticly as far as we are aware.

Basically when I was 11 I learnt the Auslan alphabet through school (the wars of a room of spiteful grade 5s and a teacher determined to keep us silent during silent reading)

But anyway, fast forward, I now work in a library where the primary school across the road teaches Auslan as their assigned second language instead of French or Japanese. The student love to practice on me but now they they are move away from simple terms I'm finding it harder to keep up.

I'm looking for help as to where I can start to learn auslan as an adult with slight absolout basic ground skills...

Any and all advice is highly appreciated. Thanks so much xx

1 Comment
2024/06/27
12:43 UTC

2

What jobs can I do that utilise my knowledge of auslan

Looking for job ideas that utilise my skills in auslan

3 Comments
2024/06/27
05:13 UTC

2

Beginner difficulties

Hello!

I've just started learning Auslan using an online tutor and pre-recorded videos, and I'm having some trouble with some signs, so was hoping for some help here!

  1. I keep mixing up the signs for 'hearing' and 'deaf', does anyone have any little tricks they used to helo them remember it? I keep using deaf as the point handshape, with two taps on the chin, and hearing as spoon handshape, with one tap.

  2. Are the 'today' and 'now' signs interchangeable? I've had different people using the same sign for both. There's the point handshape, palm facing out, with little shaking movements coming from the wrist; my tutor called that 'today', and the two flat handshapes, dominant hand half curled sitting on the palm of your non-dominant like the 'Z' fingerspelling, before being pulled away; my tutor called that one 'now'. Despite that, I've seen them used the other way round too, so are they relatively interchangeable?

  3. For learning the year, is there a specific way to sign '24', like 11-19, or do you just have to sign 2 (or 20?) then 4?

Thank you in advance!!

I'm still very very new to this, but I'm doing my best!

7 Comments
2024/06/27
04:07 UTC

5

Are there Reddit groups for Deaf or HoH

I am HoH and struggling atm because I donā€™t fit in the Deaf or Hearing world. I have masked my inability to hear properly and how it impacts my life but tonight I started thinking about how Iā€™ve isolated myself. I know Auslan but am not proficient enough when signing with Deaf people and lack confidence. I would really like to connect with other HoH people here in Adelaide.

4 Comments
2024/06/26
17:02 UTC

1

Support worker providing phone call services

Hi everyone, I am a support worker, I work with a few cleints who are deaf. One of my cleints has asked if I am allowed to make phone calls on behalf of them and charge out my time (not while on shift with them) they usually have their interpreter do this however want to use me as my hourly rate is less. Is this something I can do or are you supposed to be a interpreter to do phone calls. Thanks in advance šŸ˜Š

3 Comments
2024/06/20
03:59 UTC

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