New Zealand Sign Language Week mini webinars
Experts Sara Pivac Alexander, Micky Vale, and Rachel McKee take you through some basics of NZSL in a fun and interactive way.
Celebrate NZSL Week by learning more about one of New Zealand’s official languages—New Zealand Sign Language.
In these short webinars, experts from the University's Deaf Studies Research Unit will take you through some basics to help you start your NZSL journey and appreciate more about this language community.
NZSL Act 2006 - 20 years on
NZSL Week has been an annual event since NZSL was made a second official language in 2006. What was the aim of the NZSL Act? What has been the impact of this law over 20 years? Find out more in this short talk by Dr. Rachel McKee, Director of the Deaf Studies Research Unit.
Learn basic NZSL phrases
Learn basic everyday phrases in New Zealand Sign Language with Sara Pivac Alexander, the only Deaf NZSL lecturer at the University. Find out how communicating in NZSL is essential, especially in these mask-wearing times.
A helping hand: Resources to help you learn and use NZSL
Micky Vale introduces you to our online resources, including a complete beginner’s course programme with videos, an online dictionary, and a platform for sharing and discussing new signs.
Visual grammar of NZSL
How does NZSL use 3D space and movement to optimise grammar for visual communication? Rachel McKee discusses some aspects of how sign language structure differs from spoken language, and answers some frequently asked questions about sign language:
NZ place names
We all know and use NZ place names in Māori and English, but how does the Deaf community refer to places in NZSL? Watch this short webinar to find out and learn some common place names in NZSL. This presentation by Rachel McKee will be interpreted in NZSL.
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