Level Two Project Update

CreateNZSL has been commissioned by the Office for Disability Issues to lead work on the NZSL Level Two Project. This is a two-year project and the aim is to develop level two teaching materials for use in NZSL community education classes nationwide. Currently there are very few level two NZSL classes in New Zealand and NZSL learners often find it difficult to continue with NZSL learning. Existing level two classes often use materials from American Sign Language teaching curriculum, however, there is a desire for a NZ-based curriculum to complement TeachSign Level One curriculum. It is hoped these new materials will increase the number of level two classes in the near future. This project is expected to be completed late 2020.

There has been two advisory group meetings to date, one on 4-6th October and and another one on 16th-18th December 2018 at Kelston Deaf Education Centre in Auckland. The following tutors were participated in these meetings: Sara Pivac Alexander (NZSL Level Two Project Manager, CreateNZSL), Lynette Pivac, Susie Ovens, Victoria Lessing, Josje Lelijveld, Pixie Neame, Becky West, Rachel Walker and Shona McGhie. The group looked at the NZSL Level Two Learning Outcomes Framework (developed in April 2018) and discussed how to unpack these outcomes e.g. vocabulary, grammar, teaching content.

The first two units (Units 10-11) have been completed to date and these materials are being trialled in five NZSL Level Two classes around NZ (Auckland, Cambridge, Nelson, Dunedin). The trial will continue until the end of the year. Trial feedback will help with improving the materials and these will then be sent to a quality assurance group to check. Video script writing will start this May and filming will take place in 2020.

Contact: Sara Pivac Alexander, createnzsl@gmail.com