Dean Jacqui: New Zealand Sign Language Bill — In Committee 
Dean Jacqui: New Zealand Sign Language Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:630;Page:2164] 
JACQUI DEAN (National—Otago) 
: 
 I rise to speak to Part 1 of the New Zealand Sign Language Bill and I refer to my colleague Allan Peachy’s comment that New Zealand Sign Language was not theatre sports and it was not theatre. However I want to go back to some of the principles that underline the theatre because I believe that theatre like sign language is about communication and is about communicating in the most effective way that a person has at his or her disposal with the people with whom that person wants to communicate. 
When I was an actor as I was for a number of years as part of training it was pointed out to us and we were to discover for ourselves that in order to communicate effectively with either a person or a group of people it was necessary to realise that words themselves make up around 6 percent of the effectiveness of communication. The intonation—what we actually hear the ups and downs of those words—comprises around 14 percent of communication; and body language—what we do with our hands our facial expressions and in fact our whole bodies—comprises 80 percent of what is made up of communication. 
The interpreter within this Chamber is using sign language and body language to communicate. That communication is being understood very well by the people with whom she is communicating. So when I say that the theatre and theatre training is relevant to sign language I go back to those principles. 
Further when one is on stage or when one is in front of a camera and is communicating with his or her body to an audience—a single person or a group of people—one must always be looking out for how that is received. Because how that is received determines one’s next words; the way one delivers those next words through one’s body language determines the way in which one proceeds. So body language—and I rather suspect sign language—is very much a two-way process and that is what communication is all about. 
I was stunned and amazed when I was talking to a friend of mine who works as an early childhood educator. One of the ways in which she communicates with her very little children is by using sign language. They use sign language in early childhood centres mostly to find out when kids want to go to the loo because kids often cannot express themselves through words but they can certainly express themselves through signing. They find it really useful in this particular early childhood centre because if the little children are in a room full of sleeping children the kids who want to go to the toilet can simply make a sign. The question can be asked and can be answered effectively by very little children without disturbing others. To me 2-year-olds using sign language is very effective and of course as parents we all use sign language. 
In Part 1 “Preliminary provisions” clause 3 states: “The purpose of this Act is to promote and maintain the use of New Zealand Sign Language by—“. Well I would maintain that it is to promote and maintain the use of effective communication. Clause 4 “Interpretation” states: “Deaf community means—(a) the distinct linguistic and cultural group of people who are deaf and who use New Zealand Sign Language as their first or preferred language;”.