The Vocabulary List supports teaching and learning and helps teachers understand the language appropriate at Curriculum Level 8. 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 8, students will:

• explore language used to examine information, ideas, and opinions of both personal and societal relevance, as well as abstract concepts
• engage with and make meaning of a variety of extended text types
• develop interactive skills and strategies to exchange varied information, ideas, and perspectives and to adapt to less predictable situations.

The Vocabulary List contains language in these sections: 

• Sign List
• Expressions and Sample Sentences
• 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.

AS91822 (3.1) Demonstrate understanding of a variety of extended New Zealand Sign Language texts

AS91823  (3.2) Give a clear presentation in New Zealand Sign Language that communicates a critical response to stimulus material

AS91824 (3.3) Interact clearly using NZ Sign Language to explore and justify varied ideas and perspectives in different situations

AS91825 (3.4) Sign a variety of text types in clear New Zealand Sign Language to explore and justify varied ideas and perspectives

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:

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

For the Sign List and Expressions and Sample Sentences pages, click on the word you are looking for to be taken to a video showing the sign in action.

No new grammar or structures are introduced at NCEA Level 3. Instead, the focus should be on consolidating and refining previously learned grammar through the comprehension and production of extended signed texts. 

The NCEA Level 3 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.