Introduction to NZSL – Audio Description and Transcript

Parents and Whānau Hui – Growing and Learning Together with your Deaf Child, brought to you by Ministry of Education, New Zealand Federation for Deaf Children and Deaf Aotearoa New Zealand.

A presentation by Sara Pivac Alexander, Lecturer, Deaf Studies Research Unit, Victoria University and Pam Croskeryon New Zealand Sign Language held in a small seminar room in Living Springs, Christchurch.

Sara stands at the front of the room.

Sara (signing):So now the lovely Pam will join me, to show you all a role play which I want you all to copy, and I will ask the interpreter to stop voicing for this part, okay?

Interview with Sara discussing her presentation.

Sara (signing):We did an introduction into New Zealand Sign Language. We had a gathering of parents who hadn’t had any exposure to NZSL and it was a great turnout. So we were focused on everyday routines, signs that you can use in the morning, at home, getting ready for the day, these sorts of signs. And we did it through role play and we did it fun and the parents were copying us and participating. They worked in groups.

Workshop participants practicing NZSL in groups.

Sara (signing):I could see the benefits there for those parents to go home and there would be lifelong benefits for their children. So I loved having that time with parents today and just seeing their faces with such enthusiasm of seeing how this visual language could work for them.

Workshop participants practicing NZSL in groups.Sara hold up cards and the parents practice signing what is on the cards.

Five parents stand up in front of the group and demonstrate a sign that they have learnt during the session.

Interview with Sara continued.

Sara (signing):The essential thing is to provide language stimulation to the child, whatever form that takes. The priority is for as much exposure as possible. The child can try different things, and choose a path that works for them, which is fine. The important thing is to give them the language exposure that their growing brains are craving at that time. Parents sometimes think that their child is not ready for these multiple languages but we were saying that they’re absolutely ready for more than one language.

Ryan, a parent, discusses his impressions around parents learning sign language

Ryan (signing):It’s been very interesting to see hearing parents with their deaf children. There is a real desire to learn sign language, to be involved with deaf culture and the community, to be part of that. I think I can see people being more accepting and open-minded, more understanding and wanting to be involved more and wanting to learn NZSL. So, parents getting together, which also means the children can spend time together, is a good thing.

Ellena and Justin, parents, discuss their experience of learning sign language as a family.

Justin:Having a household that’s bilingual actually helps us to communicate clearer as a family. So we have two children that are hearing, one that’s deaf, but it’s also teaching the other children to actually communicate with their brother in various ways. Even as a family we can sit down and we can sign together at certain things, tell stories by signing. There’s things that he misses out, so by using sign he’s able to pick those things up and I think sometimes he’s a wee bit frustrated because his spoken language isn’t perfect, he’s actually been able to adapt his language by using sign to express himself so we’ve had to learn that as well but it’s actually helped him to express himself and it’s helped him to be more accepted too in that family arrangement.

Toby and Katya, parents, discuss ways for families to learn NZSL.

Toby:You can do it, you can bring both NZSL and spoken English and they will be mutually beneficial.

Katya:The ways to get around not being able to find, for example community classes that suit a child or families with children and ways to get around that. So there was one family that decided that they would have a tutor come to their home and then other families would come and join them and so that they could learn in an environment that was suitable and what they were learning was catered directly to the families and children, so that sounded like a really good idea.

A parent in the workshop offers advice for other parents.

Just to share with you, you can also go back and talk to your Advisor on Deaf Children and they can arrange the First Signs class. They come to your place, they come over on the weekends, in the evenings. They come according to what suits you best and yeah, they come to your home. You can invite your friends, your pre-school teachers to your place and you can all learn together which is great.

Interview with Bridget Ferguson, First Signs Team Leader, Deaf Aotearoa.

Bridget: Our aim has been for parents to feel that they would know where to go when they have an issue or a question, that they have agencies that they can just call on and that they see Deaf Aotearoa as a place that they can just walk in off the street, ask a question and know that there’s resources and people available that they can access.

Interview with Sara summing up the workshop.

Sara (signing):I hope the parents that attended the workshops take away the knowledge that their child will be okay and can have a happy and successful life. We hope we have been able to show them some deaf role models to demonstrate the potential their child has as well. They are exposed to so few deaf role models in society and that it’s okay to use sign language irrespective of whether or not your child has an implant, it is still okay to sign with your child.

PowerPoint on Top Tips for ‘Introduction into NZSL’.

Top Tips:

  • Learn along with your baby
  • Use everyday routines to get started
  • Get your family and friends involved in learning
  • Learning NZSL can help improve language and vocabulary for all deaf children – including those who are using technologies to develop spoken language
  • Using NZSL can help you understand your babies and toddlers long before they can speak. Babies as young as six months can communicate their needs through NZSL. Their frustrations are reduced.
  • Don’t leave it too late/ Sometimes Cochlear implants and other technologies do not work out.
  • Two languages are beneficial.

Ministry of Education logo, Deaf Aotearoa New Zealand logo, NZ Federation for Deaf Children logo.