Basic Auslan Greetings

Year Level

Year 4

Duration

45 minutes

Class Size

6 students

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Practice common greetings in Auslan.
• Use facial expressions and non-manual features (NMFs) to convey meaning effectively.

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Victorian Curriculum Alignment

Content Descriptions

• AC9L1AU4C05: Create and present signed texts using lexical signs, depicting signs (DSs), fingerspelling, and non-manual features (NMFs) in Auslan.
• AC9L1AU4U04: Identify connections between Auslan, cultural practices and identity, including social etiquette like the importance of eye contact and facial expression.
• AC9L1AU4C04: Develop strategies to comprehend and adjust Auslan to convey cultural meaning, particularly the use of NMFs and facial expressions to express emotions and meaning.
• AC9L2AU4C04: Develop strategies to comprehend and adjust Auslan in familiar contexts to convey cultural meaning, including interpreting facial expressions and body language in Auslan phrases.

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Success Criteria

Students will be able to:

• Demonstrate three basic Auslan greetings such as “Hello,” “How are you?” and “Goodbye.”
• Use appropriate facial expressions and non-manual markers to reflect the tone and intention of each greeting.
• Maintain eye contact as part of cultural etiquette when signing.
• Recognise and respond to peers’ greetings using Auslan.

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Lesson Outline

1. Introduction & Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Greet students using Auslan greetings.
• Explain the importance of facial expressions and body language in Auslan communication.
• Show brief video clips or live demonstration of greetings emphasising NMFs (e.g., eyebrow movements, head tilts).

2. Teaching & Modelling (10 minutes)

• Introduce 3-4 basic greetings in Auslan:
  • Hello (with open hand wave)
  • How are you? (with raised eyebrows indicating a question)
  • Goodbye (appropriate hand wave with smile)
  • Optional: Nice to meet you or Thank you
• Demonstrate the signs clearly, including facial expressions and eye contact.
• Discuss cultural significance of NMFs and eye gaze in Auslan.
• Model incorrect versus correct use of facial expressions to illustrate their meaning.

3. Guided Practice (15 minutes)

• Pair students for greeting practice.
• Provide prompts (e.g. "Greet your partner and ask how they are").
• Encourage students to exaggerate facial expressions to understand their significance.
• Teacher circulates and gives immediate feedback with positive reinforcement.
• Use mirrors or record brief videos to help students self-assess and observe their NMFs.

4. Independent Practice & Role Play (10 minutes)

• Create simple role-play scenarios (e.g., meeting a new student, saying goodbye at the end of class).
• Students perform greetings in front of the class or small groups, focusing on NMFs and cultural etiquette like eye contact.
• Encourage peers to respond appropriately.

5. Reflection & Closing (5 minutes)

• Discuss how facial expressions changed the meaning of their greetings.
• Reflect on the importance of welcoming others using Auslan.
• Recap WALT and success criteria.
• Assign a quick exit task: Students sign "Goodbye" with correct NMF and eye contact before leaving.

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Resources

• Auslan greeting video clips (teacher-created or pre-recorded native signer clips).
• Mirrors for students.
• Visual flashcards of greetings with facial expression cues.
• Cameras/tablets for video recording practice (optional).

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Differentiation Strategies

Learner Type	Strategy
Diverse Learners	Use visual cues and repeated modelling; simplify signs; provide one-to-one support.
Students with Dyslexia	Provide written Auslan glosses with dyslexia-friendly font; integrate clear and large images; use colour coding for facial expression cues.
Advanced Learners	Encourage creating own greeting phrases using NMFs; perform short dialogues; explain cultural context of signs.

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Extension Activities

• Introduce common farewell phrases and additional polite expressions (e.g., “See you later,” “Thank you”).
• Explore cultural practices of the Deaf community related to greetings.
• Create a shared bilingual classroom poster combining Auslan and English greetings with pictorial cues.
• Assign students to learn and present a short Auslan greeting to another class.

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Assessment

• Formative assessment through observation of student practice.
• Use a simple checklist: Correct handshape/sign? Use of facial expressions? Eye contact maintained? Peer responsiveness?
• Self-assessment with video replay or mirror reflection on facial expression success.
• Exit task “Goodbye” sign with NMF, confirming mastery of lesson content.

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This lesson plan is specifically designed to align with Victorian Curriculum Auslan objectives for Years 3 and 4, focusing on developing foundational signing skills, cultural understanding, and non-manual features as key expressive components in Auslan communication.