Sign language is one of three official languages in our country, but only a small portion of people know it. I believe that everyone should learn basic sign language, as it is an important skill to know and easy to learn. Deaf people should not be excluded in any activities and conversations just because they are Deaf. You can do your part by learning some basic signs from this article!
Before trying to learn NZSL, there are a few things you should know. Firstly, sign language is not just signing with your hands. It’s a combination of hand shapes/movements, body language, and facial expression. These elements used together can convey different things. Body language is very important because it carries grammatical information.
Like many languages, the grammar is different from english. For example, instead of signing ‘My name is John’ in NZSL, we would sign ‘My - Name - J - O - H - N’.
Finally, there are many different signs for different words, and many signs that look similar, so don’t worry if you get confused!
Let’s start super simple. This sign is as basic as it gets! Sign hello/goodbye with a simple wave. View the sign here: goodbye, hello - NZSL Online
Next, let’s learn to sign your name. To say me/I/my/mine, simply point at yourself, or place a (fisted or flat) hand on your chest. To say name, place two fingers on the side of your forehead, then turn them outwards. I have included an image of this sign to help you out!
Finally, fingerspell (sign the needed letters from the alphabet) the letters of your name.
Let’s ask someone what their name is. In English we would say ‘what's your name?’. We will sign ‘You - Name - What?’ When signing WH questions (who, what, when, where, why), you should lower your eyebrows. To sign ‘you’, simply point at the person you are directing the question at. There is an explanation of how to say ‘name’ a few paragraphs ago, check it out there. ‘What’ is hard to explain, so I have included an image of the sign. Make sure you lower your eyebrows while signing ‘what’!
I’m truly no expert at sign language. I took a half-year course at my high school, so I can hold conversations, but I’m not fluent at all. If you have a genuine interest in learning NZSL, see if there is a course or night class in your area you could attend. Unfortunately, not many schools offer the subject, but there are many online resources you can use to get started. I recommend watching YouTube videos about it, as it's much easier to learn through videos than images.
Learning a second language is also proven to be good for your brain, and as NZSL is an official language in New Zealand, it’s a great option.
Here are a few resources about NZSL: The Online Dictionary of New Zealand Sign Language - NZSL Online,
Fact Sheet: New Zealand Sign Language – Deaf Aotearoa,
About NZSL / Introduction / Thumbs Up! - NZ Sign Language (tki.org.nz).
I highly recommend continuing with NZSL if you’re interested. Once you learn the basics, you can move onto learning how to sign songs, or play games in sign language (I recommend go fish, as it is both easy and fun!) The best and most effective way to learn this language is by a qualified NZSL teacher at an in-person class, so definitely check out the classes or courses in your area.
Learn some basics & the alphabet!
To help make your actions easier to understand, it is best to wear a short-sleeved shirt or roll your sleeves up. Also, make sure to mouth your words and add facial expressions to clarify questions or emotions.
NZSL is simple to learn, so here are a few simple sayings you can use daily:
Good morning - First, with your right (or left if you are left-handed) hand, do a thumbs up, then still using your right hand make an ‘okay’ symbol ( the thumb and forefinger meeting to form and 0 and the other fingers spread apart and curved slightly ) and move your hand up and across in an arch-like shape to the right.
Sorry - Using your dominant hand, make a thumbs up and put it on your chest. Move it around in a small circle. It doesn’t matter which way you go.
Thanks - Start by putting an open hand on the end of your chin then move the hand out and down in an arch.
Please - Start with an open hand on the end of your chin, then move your hand down to the middle of your chest; as you bring your hand down, close your fist but leave your thumb sticking out so it looks like a sideways thumbs up.
Introducing yourself (My name is __) - Start by holding your fist to your chest, then using your dominant hand point with two fingers to the side of your forehead, then turn your hand outwards. Next, you spell out your name. Figure out how to spell your name with the alphabet down below.
Nice to meet you - With your dominant hand, wipe your chin sideways, then with both hands,
point out your index fingers and touch your fists together. Then point to the person you are speaking to.
Alphabet -
A: with your non-dominant hand flat, palm facing up, use your dominant hand to touch the tip of your thumb.
B: make circles with your hands, all of the fingers touching the tips of your thumbs, and touch the ends of each hand together, so they look like a sideways capital B.
C: Use your dominant hand to form a c shape
D: with your dominant hand, make a c shape, then with your non-dominant hand, point your index finger up and put it on the open end of the c shape.
E: With your non-dominant hand flat, palm facing up, use your dominant hand to touch the tip of your index finger.
F: using your middle and index fingers on both hands, rest them on top of each other with the rest of the fingers in a fist. It should look a bit like a hashtag.
G: make a fist with both your hands and place one on top of the other
H: Lay your non-dominant hand flat with palm facing upwards, swipe your other hand, face down across it
I: With your non-dominant hand flat, palm facing up, use your dominant hand to touch the tip of your middle finger
J: With your non-dominant hand flat, palm facing up, use your dominant hand’s index finger to start at the top of the middle finger and curve down the palm, then up the thumb, making a j shape.
K: With your non-dominant hand, point your index finger up, bend the index finger of your dominant hand and put your knuckle into the middle of your non-dominant hand’s index finger.
L: Lay your non-dominant hand palm facing up, and use the index finger of your dominant hand to make a line vertically across your palm.
M: With your non-dominant hand flat, palm facing up, use three fingers on your dominant hand and lay them vertically on your other hand.
N: With your non-dominant hand flat, palm facing up, use two fingers on your dominant hand and lay them vertically on your other hand.
O: With your non-dominant hand flat, palm facing up, use your dominant hand to touch the tip of your ring finger.
P: Point the index finger up with your non-dominant hand, and with your dominant hand, make a circle with your index and thumb tips touching, and put the circle on the side of the other hand, making it look like a p.
Q: make an ok sign ( the thumb and forefinger meeting to form and 0 and the other fingers spread apart and curved slightly ) with your non-dominant hand, then with your dominant hand, bend your index finger and hook it around the bottom of your thumb.
R: Hold up your non-dominant hand, palm facing towards the person you are signing to, and use your other hand to make a curve with your index finger and hold it against the other hand.
S: make a fist with both your hands but leave your pinky fingers out, then hook your two pinky fingers together
T: with your non-dominant hand, open your hand and place it landscape; then, with your dominant hand, point your index finger and put the tip of your index finger onto the bottom of your hand where your pinky starts.
U: With your non-dominant hand flat, palm facing up, use your dominant hand to touch the tip of your pinky finger.
V: Hold up your non-dominant hand, palm facing towards the person you are signing to and use two spread-out fingers on your dominant hand to hold against your non-dominant hand’s palm.
W: with both hands, spread out your finger and intertwine them with the other hand, keeping your fingers straight
X: with both hands, point your index fingers and cross them over each other, making an x shape.
Y: Spread your fingers on your non-dominant hand and hold your index finger of the other hand to the webbed part between your thumb and forefinger.
Z: Hold your non-dominant hand open vertically, arch your dominant hand, and put your fingers into the palm of your non-dominant hand.
Here’s a link to a cool NZSL course that takes you through New Zealand Sign Language basics.
http://www.learnnzsl.nz/#/id/co-01