Although the literature on general characteristics of effective sign language teaching is growing, relatively few studies have looked in detail at classroom practices or classroom discourse. This article draws on detailed observations of six beginner Australian Sign Language (Auslan) classes and postclass interviews with the teachers in order to explore students’ errors and teacher feedback strategies. In line with prior experimental studies it shows errors of movement and handshape to be the most frequent type of mistakes and more phonologically complex signs to be especially prone to errors. Teachers expressed varied philosophies about error correction but were observed to correct mistakes at generally equal frequencies in their classes. The article closes by reflecting on the relationship between error-correction approaches and general teaching methods and suggests areas where the curriculum may benefit from reform.
Although it is widely known that language practices can significantly affect adolescent self-image, research studies on adolescent naming practices are surprisingly scarce. The only study to date on nicknames in Australia was undertaken by Chevalier (2006). Her study provides a comprehensive analysis of morphological and semantic features of names but makes no reference to adolescent language practices and their role in society. Our exploration of initial responses to questionnaire data administered to secondary students in Victoria and Queensland schools considers: (i) common adolescent nicknaming practices and (ii) attitudes of adolescents to nick-names used for others and towards nicknames. We end with suggestions for raising awareness of naming practices to promote cultural and linguistic sensitivity amongst high school students.
This article discusses ways in which misunderstandings arise in Tactile Australian Sign Language (Tactile Auslan) and how they are resolved. Of particular interest are the similarities to and differences from the same processes in visually signed and spoken conversation. This article draws on detailed conversation analysis (CA) and demonstrates the power of this methodology for uncovering the subtleties of misunderstanding and repair in deaf-blind communication. In doing so, it aids our understanding of the challenges deaf-blind people encounter in adapting a visual sign language for tactile delivery. Above all, this article demonstrates that experienced tactile signers have a range of strategies at their disposal to resolve interactional trouble and deploy them quickly and effectively when misunderstandings arise.
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