Deaf people throughout the world use different sign
languages, just as hearing people speak different languages, depending on
their country of origin.
Australian Sign Language (Auslan) is the language of
the Australian Deaf community.
Auslan evolved from British Sign Language.
Auslan is a comminity language that is recognised by
Australia's National Language Policy.
Auslan is a visual and spatial language that has its
own grammar and is composed of preise hand shapes, facial expressions and body
movements that can convey both concrete and abstract information. It is
not the same as English.
Finger spelling of words is used, (using the two-handed
finder spelling alphabet), where no sign for an english word exists, such as
for names of people or places.
