Auslan is the visual-gestural language of the Australian sign linguistic minority group, rather than the auditory-oral language of Australian English speakers.

Although it is derived from British Sign Language, which was brought to Australia by the early settlers, Auslan has developed into a unique Australian language characterised by its own grammar and lexicon.

Competence in the morphological, syntactic, and discourse structures of Auslan is expected. Regional variations are recognised when used appropriately.

Students develop their skills to communicate meaningfully with people across cultures. Students reflect on their own attitudes, beliefs, and values, and develop an understanding of how Deaf culture and identity are expressed through its natural signed language.

The subject outline for Auslan at continuers level has been developed from the Collaborative Curriculum and Assessment Framework for Languages (CCAFL). CCAFL is a national model for the teaching, learning, and assessment of language subjects.