Far North Mayor Moko Tepania said he loved that NZSL Week was an opportunity for all New Zealanders to participate and learn more about the special language. Photo / Facebook
Far North Mayor Moko Tepania said he loved that NZSL Week was an opportunity for all New Zealanders to participate and learn more about the special language. Photo / Facebook
Far North Mayor Moko Tepania may be the best-known Far North face learning New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), but he’s in growing company.
With NSZL Week just ended, Kaitāia schools have focused on the country’s third official language and, according to Deaf Aotearoa, the general population has shown a greater interest in learning NZSL.
They’ve described current participation as “bigger and better” than in years gone.
At the last census in 2018, there were approximately 4,500 deaf people in New Zealand and 20,000 Kiwis who regularly used NZSL.
Perhaps surprisingly, NZSL is not only for people who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH).
At Kaitāia’s Mission Place Kindergarten, students learn NZSL on a daily basis with the support of resource teacher Zoë Brown, who visits weekly.
Teacher Nerida Goodhue said learning and sharing NZSL had become a passion for kaiako [teachers] who sought to support tamariki [children] with diverse communication needs.
“We believe sign language has huge benefits for them,” Goodhue said.
“Our non-verbal communicators are now able to express their needs and wants.”
Not long after they’d started exploring NZSL, a whānau enrolled their DHH daughter.
Mission Place tamariki learn NZSL year-round and love it. Second from left is Amber-Lee, who is DHH and keenly teaches her peers and teachers new words.
“This inspired all the kaiako to learn and use sign language.”
“Our vision was for sign language to become a normal part of everyday communication for all tamariki; to empower everyone to know all of NZ’s three official languages.”
NZSL became the third official language of Aotearoa New Zealand in 2006 when the NZSL Act was passed into law.
Bridget Ferguson, general manager of children and youth services at Deaf Aotearoa, said more New Zealanders were developing an awareness and respect for NZSL.
“People are now realising it is a valid language and not ‘English on the hands’.”
“It’s been fantastic to see high-profile people like Mayor Moko learning and sharing what they’ve learned.”
Tepania said he found signing useful in many domains of life when verbal communication was difficult.
“I probably use it almost every day at the gym when it’s hard to hear, or instead of shouting to communicate with my own whānau across rooms, through windows or at the supermarket.”
“One of my nephews is still learning to speak but knows a few signs now, so he can communicate with us even though he can’t say the words yet.”
Tepania, who first took NZSL lessons a few years ago, said he’d since noticed an increase in the use of NZSL and valued the change.
“Just the other week, I was at a pōwhiri and the kaikōrero who spoke also did his mihi [welcoming speech] in sign,” Tepania said.
“I think the pandemic and daily stand-ups with interpreters present has also helped to normalise the language, and how important it is that we communicate with all New Zealanders.”
Tepania described learning to sign as “quite intuitive” and “definitely worth the effort.”
“A lot of the signs come naturally, so I didn’t feel like I was starting from scratch.”
“Learning a language can help open you to another worldview, and to being able to communicate with more people.”
According to Lachlan Keating, chief executive of Deaf Aotearoa, learning a few basic signs can make a big difference in the lives of deaf people.
“It’s not about getting it perfect, it’s about giving it a go.”
“By including more NZSL in our lives, we can make our deaf community feel seen and valued.”
Oturu School and Kaitāia Intermediate are just two local schools which participated in the recent NZSL Week.
Participating in NZSL Week was a first for Kaitāia Intermediate, where resource teacher Zoë Brown visited to provide demonstrations.
Kaitāia Intermediate’s Rhonda Oien described it as an exciting experience for all, especially students who were keen to share what they’d learned and the reasons for that with wider whānau.
“This language unites everyone in its simplicity and uniqueness,” Oien said.
“It’s also great fun, and demonstrates an important and empathetic message to all.”
She said she valued the opportunity for students “to learn about how others cope and participate in an increasingly complex and different environment”.
Oturu’s Michelle Harris is a classroom teacher who has taught NZSL in the past and noted students’ eagerness and enjoyment around learning new signs.
She agreed it also offered an accessible option for all to communicate non-verbally.
Harris’ students had recently been learning the basics - the alphabet, colours and waiata [song].
