New Zealand Sign Language Week mini webinars

Experts Sara Pivac Alexander, Micky Vale, and Rachel McKee take you through some basics of NZSL in a fun and interactive way.

Celebrate NZSL Week 2022 by learning more about one of New Zealand’s official languages—New Zealand Sign Language.

In these short webinars, academic and teaching staff from the University's Deaf Studies Research Unit will take you through some basics to help you start (or continue) your NZSL journey in a fun and interactive way.

Learn basic NZSL phrases

Learn basic everyday phrases in New Zealand Sign Language with Sara Pivac Alexander, the only Deaf NZSL lecturer at the University. Find out how communicating in NZSL is essential, especially in these mask-wearing times.

A helping hand: Resources to help you learn and use NZSL

Micky Vale introduces you to our online resources, including a complete beginner’s course programme with videos, an online dictionary, and a platform for sharing and discussing new signs.

Visual grammar of NZSL

How does NZSL use 3D space and movement to optimise grammar for visual communication? Rachel McKee discusses some aspects of how sign language structure differs from spoken language, and answers some frequently asked questions about sign language:


NZ place names

We all know and use NZ place names in Māori and English, but how does the Deaf community refer to places in NZSL? Watch this short webinar to find out and learn some common place names in NZSL. This presentation by Rachel McKee will be interpreted in NZSL.

Our public lecture series gives you the opportunity to engage with the latest thinking on the world’s major issues. To stay informed of upcoming public events and lectures at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, sign up to the public lecture mailing list.