Bilingual Education in the Northern Territory: Principles, policy and practice
At the start of the 2010 school year, the number of hours of bilingual teaching in Northern Territory Two-Way schools is set to decrease by more than half. The public debate that followed the announcement of this policy change revealed a need for further research on the models, achievements and challenges of bilingual education in Indigenous communities.
Find out more about the Symposia
Read the Press Statement: Bilingual education symposium to discuss NT policy
Read the Press Statement: Bilingual the Best way to learn English
National Indigenous Times article on the Symposia
Courier Mail article by Peter Michael and Natalie Gregg
He is a living relic and an ancient linguistic treasure.Kuku Thaypan elder Tommy George, 82, is the sole surviving fluent speaker of his language.
Kuku Thaypan elder Tommy George. Picture: Brian Cassey Photography
“I’m the last of them,” said the son of an Aboriginal king. “Everybody knows that.”
When the famed tracker dies, 48,000 years of oral history – from beyond the Dreamtime – dies with him.
Kuku Thaypan, one of four Aboriginal languages spoken in Quinkan country on Cape York, is destined for extinction like 120 other dialects lost across Australia since European settlement.
Despite efforts of academics, the primordial tongue and ancient secrets of the old healer handed down from generation to generation will likely vanish.
It is estimated that of more than 300 specific Aboriginal languages in use pre-British arrival, there will be fewer than 100 left by 2050.
Get the lastest from the team at Nalingu, Mitchell.
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With a prize pool of $5 million every year for three years, NAB’s Schools First initiative is a national awards program that provides financial recognition and support to build and enhance effective school-community partnerships.
All Australian primary and secondary schools can apply for Schools First funding for their community partnership from 1 July – 14 August 2009.
To explain the nomination process, Schools First is running a series of 80 workshops across the country. The workshops are free-of-charge and open to school staff, principals, school councils, parents, local government, State and Federal government, local business associations, health and well-being organisations and any other community group interested in partnering with a local school.
To register for a workshop, RSVP on our website www.schoolsfirst.edu.au
Gayarragi, Winangali is an interactive multimedia resource for Gamilaraay and Yuwaalaraay, languages of northern New South Wales. Gayarragi, Winangali was produced as a CD-ROM but it always available for download.
Gayarragi, Winangali is a resource for language learners at all levels, and for anyone interested in the Gamilaraay and Yuwaalaraay languages. It contains extensive language resources, including audio:
- a searchable Gamilaraay Yuwaalaraay Dictionary with over 2,600 entries, all including audio
- 957 spoken sentences from traditional speakers, all transcribed, and hyperlinked to the dictionary
- 30 songs and 14 stories, all transcribed, and hyperlinked to the dictionary
- games, including crosswords and memory/matching games
- other language resources as pdf and text files
Gayarragi, Winangali is free for use by individuals and Gamilaraay Yuwaalaraay organisations. Institutions such as schools, libraries or universities are welcome to try out Gayarragi, Winangali for free; for use in a teaching program.
Thanks to Des Crump for passing on this information!
Over 40 delegates attended the Rockhampton Indigenous Languages Expo in Rockhampton,
on the 28th and 29th of April.
The Language Expo was organised by the Dharumbal Language and Culture Program and the State Library of Queensland and included representatives from a number of language communities and language centres in Queensland. It was held at the Dreamtime Centre.
Get the lastest news from the team at Nalingu from their new newsletter..
The Bush Rounder, a Gunggari language story by Mrs Irene Ryder, has been added to the growing collection of virtual books published on the State Library of Queensland website.
The book has beautiful illustrations by students of the Dunkeld School.
The collection now includes bilingual books with text and audio in the Yugambeh, Gamilaraay, Gunggari, Gudjal and Butchulla languages.
Have a look at the website to read through the books.
If you have Language resources that you would like published let us know by leaving a comment on the blog. Then we will contact you to talk about permissions and getting access to the materials required for publishing
Australia has the highest rate of language extinction on the planet: that’s according to UNESCO who says language diversity is—like species diversity—rapidly declining. And once a language is gone, can it really be brought back to life?
Holding our tongues is an ABC Hindsight project about the long and painful task of reviving Aboriginal languages.
There are many different places on the net where people can find out about language revival and maintenance. The Holding our tongues site will be an ongoing project, aiming to bring as many of these resources as possible together in one place.
Check out the website to find out more.
Listen to the radio documentary.
Queensland Stories is the State Library of Queensland’s project to collect and display Queensland digital stories; stories about your community, your house, a special person, your favourite place, or things you love to do.
Queensland Stories is the State Library of Queensland’s project to collect and display Queensland digital stories; stories about your community, your house, a special person, your favourite place, or things you love to do.
Queensland digital stories are 3-4 minute mini movies where you are the storyteller and movie maker.
Queensland Stories is a growing resource providing a collection of digital stories which record and document the diversity of our lives as Queenslanders.
Is there a story about your Language project that you would like to tell? If so have a look at the SLQ website to find out how to be involved.
It would be great to have lots of stories from Language workers around Queensland, and we all like a good yarn so lets get talking!