Celebrating Auslan with Emma Memma and Elvin Melvin

Celebrating Communication, Connection and Community

At Journey Early Learning, we believe that communication is more than just words—it’s how we connect, how we belong, and how we grow together. From the earliest moments, children seek to express themselves through gestures, movement, sound, and signs. And when we make space for every form of communication, we create a world where all children can play, learn, and flourish side by side.

We are honoured to celebrate Auslan Day with a very special interview with Emma Memma and Elvin Melvin—two remarkable humans who have created something truly magical. Through Emma Memma, they blend music, movement and Australian Sign Language to open up new possibilities for connection and inclusion. Their work not only celebrates diversity in how we communicate—it shows how joyful, expressive, and fun learning Auslan can be.

So today, with hearts full of gratitude, we invite you to enjoy this inspiring conversation with Emma and Elvin—about their creative journey, their vision for accessible communication, and the power of bringing everyone into the conversation.

What inspired you to bring together dance, sign language, and music in your work with children?

Emma: I grew up in primary school with Deaf friends and ever since, was inspired to learn the language however I didn’t pick up Auslan formally until I finished school. Through my time performing and socialising with my friends in the Deaf community, I started to wonder how can I, as a practitioner and non-native sign language user, contribute positively and integrate elements of visual language to benefit children’s screen media and its audiences? I had noticed that families had many barriers in communication between each other when coming to see live shows and I wanted to change that.

Did your PhD research help shape the creation of Emma Memma?

Emma: Absolutely! The PhD, over many years, helped me focus on what culturally appropriate integrations of dance, Australian Sign Language (Auslan) and screen media that could contribute to ‘Emma Memma’. We created our new children’s venture ‘Emma Memma’ to bring visual language to the forefront of children’s media, inspire more use of expressive movement within family networks and support those who need visual communication systems to access language.

Why do you think it’s important for all children to be exposed to Auslan?

Elvin: For many reasons!! I believe:

1. Young children have the ability and enthusiasm to learn languages very quickly, so it’s a great time in their life to learn Auslan. Auslan also is Australian sign language so it should be learning after English, before other spoken languages.

2. What if Deaf children are in your child’s school or community; how will other children welcome and interact with fellow Deaf classmates? 

3.  Auslan is SO MUCH FUN for children, (in my opinion compared to spoken languages!!) Also, Auslan can easily transform into games for children such as, ‘Guess this sign’ and charade-style activities.

4. Auslan isn’t just for Deaf children, it is a language system to support children that prefer to use a visual system such as those who may be autistic or non-verbal.

Emma: Children just need to be given language options and some children who are drawn to more visual modes of learning may respond to sign language better than spoken language. Sign languages are visual-spatial languages and hence, developing and learning this skill to comprehend and produce a visual language assists in spatial cognition. This can be valuable for learning and conversing in other disciplines, such as mathematics, geography, architecture and dance!

What are some simple ways families or educators can introduce Auslan into daily routines?

Emma: The best way to learn sign language is from someone who is using sign language as their primary language and there are amazing Deaf educators and professionals in this country. Use their resources to find the best phrases to suit your family and/or classroom. Of course, learning any language can be overwhelming at first so start with some key signs that are important to your network and if they are easier to remember with a song then go for it! However, ‘Emma Memma’ has been specifically designed to help you out here, all our content and signs have been consulted by Deaf professionals and there are some very catchy tunes encourage repetitive learning 😊

Elvin: Yes, you can access all our Emma Memma’s videos from our Youtube channel. One of the best way to engage children in learning Auslan is to incorporate games and allow the children to lead their learning. If the game is the child making up their ‘signed’ greeting to you each day then expand from there, allow them to play charades, mime and use gesture as much as possible.

How does movement enhance language learning?

Emma: Children can be engaged authentically to movement and music which helps them learn about the world around them. With movement and sign languages, they help each other as they both develop spatial skills. There is a plethora of research to support the benefits of integrating movement into language learning which builds comprehension of expression, confidence, proprioception, teamwork, kinaesthetic detail, fine and gross motor skills just to name a few.

How has your background in media production influenced your approach to children’s content?

Emma: I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to be thrown into the practical nature of filmmaking at Sydney Film School and there I found my love of editing. However, I think being a dancer also meant my approach to editing was unique and lead by movement as opposed to dialogue. I certainly appreciated the nature of visual storytelling which was then refined more as I began to combine dance and editing in the last decade specifically working in children’s entertainment.

What legacy do you hope to leave through your work as Emma Memma?

Emma: I see now that ‘Emma Memma’ might be the first time a child or their family has been exposed to sign language and I am honoured to have my best friend Elvin, a primary user of Auslan, professional dancer, and qualified Auslan teacher to share this language with everyone. I hope we can instil joy in learning sign language for children around the country.

What legacy do you hope to leave through your work as Elvin Melvin alongside Emma Memma?

Elvin: For everyone to learn more Auslan, not just children but the whole family! When we all know sign language, we can share stories and be able to express ourselves freely.

A Heartfelt Thank You to Emma and Elvin

To Emma and Elvin—thank you. Thank you for your passion, your creativity, and for showing us what it truly means to make communication inclusive from the very beginning. Your work is a shining example of what happens when language, art, and heart come together.

At Journey, we are proud to walk alongside families and children on this shared journey—where every child feels seen, heard, and celebrated. When we give children the tools to communicate in ways that work for them, we open the door to lifelong learning, deeper friendships, and a stronger sense of self. As Emma and Elvin so beautifully remind us:

Language doesn’t always need to be spoken.
Sometimes, it’s danced.
Sometimes, it’s signed.
And always, it’s shared—with love.

Happy Auslan Day from all of us at Journey.