NCEA L1 NZSL study plan

Fingerspell your own name, your school or workplace, and 20 high-frequency words using the two-handed NZSL alphabet, at a pace a Deaf conversational partner can read

Introduce yourself in topic-comment order (name, where you are from, whānau, study or work), holding eye contact throughout

Ask and answer three yes/no questions using raised eyebrows and a forward head, and three wh-questions using furrowed eyebrows

Open and close a conversation politely, including attention-getting (waving in peripheral vision or tapping a shoulder) and leave-taking

Sustain a two-minute reciprocal exchange with a partner without voicing or mouthing English words

Set up spatial referents for three people and three places, then refer back to them by pointing rather than re-naming

Describe a daily routine using time markers (before, after, morning, evening) placed at the start of clauses

Negate statements with a headshake and a negative sign, and correct a partner's false statement

Watch a one-minute signed narrative and extract the main idea plus four supporting details

Write a gloss (sign-by-sign English notes) of the key sentences you produced in your own conversation

Identify the main idea and at least four details in two-minute signed texts on familiar topics such as kura, mahi, and whānau

Decode fingerspelled names, places, and brands at natural speed without asking for repeats more than twice per clip

Recognise and record numbers, times, dates, and prices accurately from signed information

Use prediction from context and non-manual features to guess unfamiliar signs instead of stopping the clip

Take notes in a consistent personal shorthand while watching, without pausing more than once per minute

Hold a four-minute conversation with an unfamiliar signer, covering two topic shifts and one request for clarification or repair

Use repair strategies (repeat, rephrase, fingerspell, ask a wh-question) when comprehension breaks down, rather than switching to English

Summarise in two or three signed sentences what the other person told you, checking accuracy

Complete a timed comprehension task on unseen material without support notes

Storyboard a three-minute signed presentation about your whānau, community, or a place that matters to you, with a clear beginning, middle, and end

Apply Deaf cultural protocols in presentation: gain attention appropriately, maintain eye contact with the audience, and manage turn-taking

Explain what a name sign is, that it is given by Deaf community members rather than chosen, and why that matters

Draft and record the presentation in one continuous take without reading from a script

Use at least two classifiers and constructed action (role shift) to show who did what in your narrative

Vary pace, pausing, and sign size to mark new topics and emphasis

Re-record the presentation applying your week 5 self-review fixes and tutor feedback

Watch your own recording and identify two non-manual features you need to strengthen (eyebrows, mouth pattern, head tilt)

Sign a two-minute explanation of three aspects of NZSL Deaf culture, such as NZSL becoming an official language through the NZSL Act 2006, name signs, and NZSL Week

Adapt register between a formal presentation to a group and an informal chat with a peer

Ask and answer follow-up questions about your cultural explanation without pre-prepared answers

Compare one aspect of NZSL Deaf culture with your own cultural practice, signed in three or four sentences

Complete a full mock of all three communication strands under exam timing, with no notes for the interpersonal and presentational parts

Fix the top three recurring errors logged across weeks 1 to 7

Build and rehearse a personal checklist for the exam room: attention-getting, eye contact, asking for repeats, and time management

Review your week 4 and week 6 recordings back to back and confirm measurable improvement