NZ Sign Language Week is 7 to 13 May (but the website isn’t active yet, sigh). Free short sign language classes are available: register at www.nzslta.org.nz.
27,285 people use New Zealand Sign Language.
Around 400,00 people in New Zealand have hearing impairement but 7,000 are culturally Deaf.
There are 62.5% similarities found in British Sign Language and NZSL. Compare that with 33% of NZSL signs found in American Sign Language.
Source: Numbers are based on NZ Census 2002 and research done by Victoria University of Wellington.
[Source New Zealand Sign Language Teachers Association Facts to start with ….]
Looking further on the NZSLT site I see they have DVDs and workbooks available for learning NZ Sign.
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Although I am not hearing impaired I would like to learn some of the basics of Sign Language and to pass this knowledge onto my daughter who starts school in August.
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