The Vocabulary List supports teaching and learning and helps teachers understand the language appropriate at Curriculum Level 7. Language drawn from this Vocabulary List may be used to support teachers when preparing students for internal assessments.

The language in this Vocabulary List reflects the Significant Learning summarised in the New Zealand Sign Language NCEA Learning Matrix. At Curriculum Level 7, students will:

• explore language used to elaborate on information, ideas, and opinions in personal and community contexts
• engage with and make meaning of a variety of short and less straight-forward text types
• develop interactive skills and strategies to exchange and connect more detailed information, ideas, and viewpoints in more detail.

The Vocabulary List contains language in these sections:

• Sign List (including te ao Māori signs)
• Grammar and Structures
• The Sign List page also contains a document that includes Categories such as verbs, nouns, and adjectives. 

For internal assessments

The language used by students during internal assessment activities (and associated learning opportunities throughout the year) will reflect the teaching and learning of New Zealand Sign Language that takes place within the context of each classroom. Teachers may extend the language they include in teaching and learning programmes to items and expressions beyond this Vocabulary List.

AS91799 (2.1) Demonstrate understanding of a variety of New Zealand Sign Language texts on familiar matters

AS91800 (2.2) Give a presentation in New Zealand Sign Language that communicates information, ideas and opinions

AS91801 (2.3) Interact using New Zealand Sign Language to share information and justify ideas and opinions in different situations

AS91802 (2.4) Sign a variety of text types in New Zealand Sign Language to convey information, ideas, and opinions in genuine contexts

Age-related variations and sign variations across regions

NZSL is a living language in Aotearoa with natural variation across regions and generations. 

Age-related variations of New Zealand Sign Language (also known as intergenerational shifts) have developed over time. Older and younger generations may prefer and use different signs for some common concepts.

Sign variations across regions involves different signs being used by different groups across regions of Aotearoa New Zealand. This is similar to different iwi dialects being used across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Not all age-related or regional variations are represented because of the standardised nature of national assessments. A teaching and learning programme would recognise and include these variations of NZSL. 
 

Notes to teachers

In addition to the listed vocabulary, students are also expected to be able to recognise:

• jobs
• registers for formal and informal situations
• appropriate signing space
• facial expressions.

For the Sign List page - click on the word you are looking for to be taken to a video showing the sign in action. 

For the Grammar and Structures page - videos explaining the grammar points as well as examples of use will be added later in 2026.

The NCEA Level 2 Vocabulary List for NZSL references sign videos from the NZSL Online Dictionary (https://www.nzsl.nz). These materials are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.