A Handy Guide to NZSL

Kate Morris (she/er) and Anthony Bichan (he/him)

Author’s note: we are hearing, and write as NZSL learners who have come to appreciate the language and Deaf culture, not on behalf of Deaf people

Last year, New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) was introduced into the daily lives of many New Zealanders thanks to the 1 p.m. COVID-19 briefings. Etched into the minds of the nation, alongside our Prime Minister and Director-General of Health are the rotating cast of NZSL interpreters who stood alongside them at the lecterns. This was an excellent publicity boost, but many still hold misconceptions about the language and are unaware of its cultural importance.

One common myth is that there is just one sign language; one universal way of communicating with the hands. Like spoken languages, signed languages have developed naturally over time in different places. This has led to many distinct sign languages forming across the world, with estimates putting the number at around 300. They also do not necessarily correspond to the spoken language of a country—for example, even though New Zealand and the US both speak English, each country has their own unique sign language. A universal sign language will never exist, for the same reasons that a universal spoken language will never exist. Language is linked to identity, and the patchwork of Deaf communities worldwide are far too diverse for a single language to catch on.

Another common misconception is that NZSL is just a version of English that is communicated with hand signs. The truth is much more interesting: it is a language in its own right; a vibrant, living language, with a unique grammatical structure and way of communicating. Although it has historical roots in British Sign Language, NZSL has developed locally among Deaf people in Deaf schools and community settings. It wasn’t built around English, because it evolved among people who didn’t necessarily use or understand English. It was instead built on how they observed and experienced the world around them. Many English or Māori words do not have a single corresponding sign, and single signs can be used and modified to communicate a concept that would take a whole string of spoken words to express.

Lives are lived in NZSL: conversations at the dinner table, catch ups over coffee, sports games, and spirited debates. The full range of human expression is possible in NZSL, just as with any spoken language. And just like any language, NZSL is foundational to the culture of those who use it. Deaf people have their own culture and ways of being that have developed through connection, shared experiences, and the use of their language. To them, deafness is a cultural identity rather than a medical problem or a deficiency. Cha’nel, a Deaf university student, writes on the next page about her lived experience of the language and culture.

This NZSL week (May 10-16), we invite you to deepen your understanding of the language and the people who use it. Keep an eye on the VUW NZSL Club Instagram 

(@vuw.nzsl.club) and Facebook page for events happening throughout the week. Try your hand at some of the interactive lessons on the learnnzsl.nz site, which were made by our own lecturers here at Vic. Find ways to incorporate some signing into your daily life. Maybe even watch some late night reruns of the Ashley Bloomfield show, but this time, pay attention to the interpreters, and appreciate the flow of the language and the culture that lies behind it.