AUSLAN

I learnt some Australian Sign Language (AUSLAN) just recently, so I am by no means an expert. I chose to learn the language because of a fascination with such non-verbal communication. AUSLAN isn't simply a signed form of English but has its own grammar and vocabulary. And while many words clearly show relation to direct miming, other (particularly more abstract) words are simply action.

Brisbane AUSLAN Schools

I studied at the Institute of Modern Languages (IML). Other ways that I am aware of learning the language in Brisbane include the Queensland Deaf Society and TAFE, but I've not heard any word regarding which of these are better than the others.

The course I took at the IML was very interesting - the teacher was deaf and therefore unable to speak English so we had an interpreter for the first day. After that, the teacher took the course and taught using overhead transparencies, miming and practice. I wish the course had more than one lesson per week, but I was very happy with it.

Sign Language

Personally, I think what draws me to the language so much is that with signed languages there is so much potential for unique grammatical constructs \uFFFD spoken language is inherently one-dimensional (by this I mean there is a single flow of sequenced words over time), whereas sign language has the potential to use the same kind of inflections as spoken language (via facial expressions) but also take advantage of a three-dimensional space in which to sign. For example:

• A discussion or comparison between two different concepts could be done by establishing two separate spaces, and signing within each space as appropriate.
• You could discuss things, "put them down" in some part of the signing space, and pick them up later to continue discussion.
• You could establish different contexts and meanings for different signing spaces \uFFFD have one place represent "home", another place "work", and another place "the future", and you could sign within each space to indicate the progression of action over time.

So far, I haven't really seen these in use as clear and obvious grammatical constructs (though, as I said, I\uFFFDm just a beginner), but I have seen the teacher occasionally do things that appear to be close. It is quite tempting to jump right in and try creating a Conlang just to explore all the possibilities.

Learning AUSLAN

In the meantime, here are two sites I found useful in my class on sign language:

• Sign Bank. This site requires free registration. Sign Bank is a large online sign language dictionary that lets you video view clips of signs, and has tools to help practice finger-spelling and counting.
• Trevor Johnston\uFFFDs homepage. This homepage has detailed information on sign language, and allows you to download his PhD thesis, "Auslan: the Sign Language of the Australian Deaf Community"

Feedback

If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I can be reached by email or by a web-based email/SMS form.

To return to the homepage, click here.