well it's only been 4 months. but i think i have earned the right to write another one of these. actually i couldn't even remember where the 'update journal' button was.

i obviously found it, eventually.

so yes, i've found it. my interest, my 'passion' if you like (i don't). Sign Language. or to be more specific... Auslan, which is the official language of deaf Australians. I study it 6 hours a week and have so far only learnt the very vbasics. But i feel that i am picking it up very quickly and the reson for this is because i simply love it! Those who know me well know that i already use my hands a great deal when i talk... this somehow seems like a natural progression for me. And while i learn the language, i also learn so so so much about the whole deaf culture.

I won't sit here and bore you with little details... actually, i will. because i feel like it. if you dont feel like reading, feel free to skip ahead to the end. just look for the dots.

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so there are many things about the deaf community and it's languages that many hearing people (myself included until a few weeks ago) don't know. auslan itself is based around BSL (British Sign Language) and was brought here - like any thing else European, with the first fleet. it has developed into it's own language over the past 200 years and shares many similarites but is also very different from its mother language.

ASL is American Sign. it's very deifferent from BSL and Auslan (the american sign for 'water' is the australian for 'sex'. just imagine... "hey you look thirsty... want a glass of sex?? i keep the sex next to the milk in the fridge...where's that sex jug?") the other major difference between ASL and Auslan is that due to Australia's slow moving human rights awareness.... Auslan was only recognised as an actual language in 1980, while America recognised it's deaf community's language in 1890. In Austrlia most deaf children were thought of as retarded and any hand gestures used in an attempt to communicate were thought of as a part of that retardation.

Auslan uses a very different style of grammar to English. Basically, there isnt any. Well, there is, but not as we, as hearing people, would understand it. Auslan is about being concise. Facial expressions and gestures are used to give meaning to the sign while the actual signs themselves are shortened to make for more efficient communication. Thus,

"Hello, my name is _______, what is your name? Becomes..

"Hello, my name _______, your name what?

"I am going ot the shops" becomes...

"I go shop"

In the 70's the government decided that this was producing a generation of deaf children who couldnt speak, read or write english. and they were right, it was. but instead of teaching english alongside the natural and native language of the deaf, they decided to completely forbid auslan in deaf schools. At first, they tried to teach children orally... by basically talking at them (you can imagine how well that worked). then they tried a system where the child uses their voice but also basic hand motions to demonstarte the pronounciation of each sound. Then they introduced signed english, which is what most hearing people associate with sign language. where every english word has a sign. this was effective in that children developed better english skills, but was very long and sterile, with no need for gesture or facial expression. also, think about the following english words and their different meanings... wave, space, book, sign, right, turn, fair. In signed english, there is just one sign for each. so talking about waving hello, and the waves at the beach or a heat wave could get very confusing. Eventually the government worked out that Auslan came so much more naturally for the deaf. and in the early 80's allowed it to be taught as the major language of the deaf and i suppose you could consider signed english like latin: for learning purposes only.

unfortunately, because they stuffed around for so long there are now many deaf who speak some sort of pidgeon language, a mix of finger spelling, auslan, signed english and vocalisations. But in general the deaf are very versatile and can pick up one another's variations within minutes. It's all in the face. it's not what you say, it's the way you say it.

i'm in love with this language. i feel very empowered? no, wrong word....... perhaps just excited by the whole thing. and i feel as though this could be something i see the whole way through. my interest, my thing, i could even handle being an interpretor (you want to know the coolest thing of all... signs pop into my head all the time, whenever i know them besically. like... i know the one for interpretor [and for 'know' ] and now i feel the need to sign them)

well, thanks for putting up with my RIDICULOUSLY long rant. i hope it interested you, even just a little.
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So basically i'm going to be a busy little bee this semester. I'm moving out of home in a few weeks (YAY). i'm working part time, i'm about to start a new uni degree, i'm in the church play (do come see, 1st of April!), i'm still trying to keep my commitment up at lucians and, of course i'm throwing myself head long into auslan.

so i'll attempt to catch you all 'round

night all. xx