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Auslan English Emotions Comparison

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Auslan English Emotions Comparison

Compare how people can communicate emotions in Auslan and English. Read the information first, then use it to explain similarities and differences. Remember: people express emotions in many different ways, and no single expression is used by everyone.

A message beyond the words

Auslan is a language used by many Deaf people in Australia. It is a visual language: meaning can be communicated through signs, facial expression, eye gaze and body movement. In Auslan, non-manual features (often shortened to NMFs) are features made without the hands. They can help show emotion and may also contribute to grammar and meaning. The hands are important too; an emotion is not communicated by facial expression alone. English can be spoken or written. In spoken English, people may express emotion through word choice, voice, facial expression and body language. In written English, readers may use the words, punctuation and surrounding context to work out the tone. These are useful comparisons, but neither language has only one way to express a feeling. People, situations and communication preferences differ.

Read the clues

1.What does NMF stand for in the passage, and name one example of an NMF.

2.Choose the best answer: Which statement about expressing emotion in Auslan is supported by the passage?

Facial expression is the only thing that communicates emotion.
Hands, facial expression and other visual features can all contribute to meaning.
Every Auslan user shows each emotion in exactly the same way.
Auslan has no way to express emotion.

3.In spoken English, name two clues besides the words themselves that may help a listener understand someone's emotion.

4.True or false? A reader might use punctuation and context to work out the tone of a written English message.

TrueFalse

5.Match each communication clue to the language or situation it best describes. A clue may be useful in more than one language.

Non-manual features such as eye gaze
Voice tone
Punctuation and surrounding context
Facial expression

Spoken English
Can be relevant in both
Auslan
Written English

6.Imagine a face with raised eyebrows and wide eyes. Which emotion might these visible clues suggest? Name the emotion and describe one clue that could help someone recognise it. Do not assume that the face shows an Auslan sign.

7.Give one similarity and one difference between how emotion may be communicated in Auslan and spoken English. Use details from the passage.

8.A friend sends the written message “That’s just great.” Explain why a reader might not be certain whether the writer feels pleased or annoyed. Name one extra clue that could help.

9.Imagine you want to communicate excitement. Describe one possible way to show it in spoken English and one possible way it could be communicated in Auslan. Be respectful: people express emotions differently, and do not invent or draw an Auslan sign unless you have learnt it from a reliable source.