Students at Leanyer School have embraced the introduction of the Australian Sign Language Auslan into the school’s 2023 language program.
Leanyer School principal Ben McCasker said the school approached the Darwin Languages Centre with the idea of including Auslan in their curriculum and a funding partnership was established to support a full-time teaching position.
“By immersing Leanyer students in the learning of Auslan, we are exposing our young people to countless opportunities, understandings and compassion. It promotes inclusiveness and appreciation. It provides physiological benefits such as brain functions, including reaction times and peripheral vision,” Mr McCasker said.
“Learning Auslan will help improve the communication skills of Leanyer School students and it will teach them how to read and use a range of non-verbal communication skills, such as expression and body language.”
More than 3.6 million Australians are living with hearing loss and almost 20,000 people across the country use Auslan every day.
“Learning Auslan can improve your brain’s motion processing and increase mental retention skills. Just like learning any other language, you gain a new, handy skill and expand your knowledge of how languages work,” said Darwin Languages Centre Principal Kevin Northcote.
The centre was able to secure a contract with Auslan teacher Clayton Hanson, who has worked at a number of schools teaching sign language, and together they are developing Australian Curriculum aligned Auslan teaching and learning sequences and assessments.
“It is important to us at Leanyer School to promote inclusiveness. By teaching our students the skills of Auslan, we are giving people the power to connect to others who they otherwise would not have the ability to do so,” Mr McCasker said.
Users of Auslan include deaf people, deaf students, people suffering hearing loss, sign language interpreters, students of Auslan and parents and carers of deaf children.
