Assessment Task 2: Reflective Writing on Development of Auslan and Visual Communication Skills.
The concept of visual communication and the language of Auslan was something that had initially seemed very distant and disconnected from my life before enrolling in this subject. However, the rich and vivid cultural and linguistic aspects of Auslan have resonated with me in my journey to more deeply understand visual communication and Deaf individuals. Throughout this course, I have become confident in saying my Auslan and visual communication skills have developed tremendously, providing an intense appreciation and understanding of the language and its content. Through completing the course and embracing its resources, I’ve understood how important
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Due to the language being communicated visually, it has uniquely different social conventions and cultures within its community. I found the historical aspects to be enlightening, especially as they were conveyed in sign, and although there was an interpreter, the Auslan being signed by the lecturers made the immersion much more impactful than if there was just a voice-over. I expected Auslan to be developed during Australia's timeline, however, I felt the history was entertaining and stimulating enough to develop further interest in the subject. The lectures, specifically the first one reminded me of how deep the history of Auslan is and how the culture was developed over time through linguistic features (Blyth, 2023). This resource bank of lectures proved to be my most helpful asset in learning communication skills as something digital that I am able to refer back to if I needed any assistance outside of learning hours. I took a very deep interest in Auslan's roots, hoping to further engage with the history of visual communication within Australia, finding additional opportunities to further my knowledge of what happened when Auslan was created. The social protocols of Auslan I also find to be very interesting which helped to develop my interest within the language and the culture that surrounds it. I found it intriguing how different a visual language can be from a spoken communication. For example, it wouldn't be considered rude to walk straight through a conversation in Auslan, however, it is more socially acceptable to excuse yourself and maintain caution when interrupting a conversation in English. The different social protocols reminded me that the languages are different, and although a little shocking to me, make complete sense in the context of Auslan conversations. I also found it interesting how asking someone from the Deaf