Australian Sign Language

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A language of Australia

ISO 639-3
asf
Alternate Names
Auslan
Population

7,150 (2006 census).

Location

Scattered.

Language Status

5 (Developing). De facto language of provincial identity in New South Wales.

Classification
Sign language
Dialects

None known. Related to British Sign Language [bfi], with influences also from Irish Sign Language [isg] and American Sign Language [ase]. Many structural and lexical similarities between British Sign Language (BSL) [bfi], Australian Sign Language (Auslan) [asf], and New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) [nzs] and a high degree of mutual intelligibility (2003 T. Johnston, McKee and Kennedy 2000). Linguists sometimes use the name BANZSL to refer to them as a group, while still recognizing them as separate related languages.

Typology

Two-handed fingerspelling system.

Language Use

Some signed interpretation in court, for college students, at important public events. Also use English [eng]. Used as L2 by Australian Irish Sign Language [isg].

Language Development
Taught in primary schools. Films. TV. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible portions: 1999–2002.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Australian Sign Language
Other Comments

Earliest schools for the deaf established by British deaf immigrants in 1860. Many agencies for the deaf. Sign language instruction for parents of deaf children. Committee on national sign language.

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