Deafness and Communication

This subject will explore a range of aspects of deafness, including communication, technology and Auslan, or Australian sign language. It will examine deafness from a linguistic and cultural view to gain insight into human communication and the relationship between culture and language. This subject will investigate the impact of deafness on communication, literacy, social development, access and equity, and also consider how technology impacts on the lives of people who are deaf. Other topics covered will include a brief introduction to sign language, bilingual approaches to learning, deaf culture, the cochlear implant, noise induced hearing loss and the development of spoken language in deaf children.