New Zealand Sign Language

New Zealand Sign Language, or NZSL, is the main language of the deaf community in New Zealand.

New Zealand Sign Language has its roots in British Sign Language (BSL), and may be technically considered a dialect of British, Australian and New Zealand Sign Language (BANZSL).

It uses the same two-handed manual alphabet as British Sign Language and Auslan, or Australian Sign Language.

Official language status

NZSL is expected to soon become the third official language of New Zealand, joining English and Maori. A New Zealand Sign Language Bill is currently in the process of being passed as an Act of Parliament. At the last reading, on June 22 2004, it was supported by all political parties. The use of NZSL as a valid medium of instruction has not always been an accepted view by the Government, the Association of Teachers of the Deaf, and many parents. However, in light of much research into its validity as a language and much advocay by deaf adults, parents of deaf children (both hearing and deaf) and educationalists, NZSL has since become — in tandem with English — part of the bilingual/bicultural approach used in public schools (including Kelston Deaf Education Centre and Van Asch Deaf Education Centre) since 1994.

Dialects

Differences in lexicon in Zew Zealand Sign Language have largely developed through the student communities surrounding four schools for the deaf in New Zealand:

• St. Dominic's School for the Deaf, started in Wellington 1944, moved to Feilding in 1953
• Sumner School for the Deaf, started in 1880
• Titirangi School for the Deaf, opened in 1944
• Kelston School for the Deaf, opened 1958