Skip to main content

Government report on Indigenous languages is out!

I've done quite a few posts here about the national inquiry into Indigenous languages that's been going on for about a year. See here and here, for example.

I'm very excited to say that the final report came out today and it's really good. I was very lucky to receive a preview copy of it last Friday because of my association with the language blog on Crikey. It was a media embargoed copy of the report and I wasn't allowed to disclose its contents until it became public today. (I'm so ready for CSI: Ngukurr... ha!). But getting the preview copy allowed me to write up a piece for Crikey which can be found here (thanks go to Claire, Aidan and others from Fully (sic) and Crikey eds for making my piece much better than it was going to be).

It's been an exciting day. Personally, I was pleased to see my article published on Crikey and that it seems to be pretty well received and read. But that's just my own little smugness. Generally, I'm really excited about the government report and what it might mean for Aboriginal languages and Aboriginal people and the many many people I know who, like me, battle away on working on these languages.

It could mean that organisations like the Ngukurr Language Centre will be better resourced. It could mean the return of proper resourced bilingual education in remote schools. It could simply mean that Aboriginal languages are better and more widely recognised and that I won't have to do so much hard work advocating for why it's worthwhile paying attention to them in the first place!

I'll be keeping track of the media and commentary that the report gets over coming days and weeks. In the meantime, here are some links to other media stories about the report that came out today:

- Action needed to help preserve Indigenous languages - The Conversation.
- Preserve Indigenous languages: inquiry - NITV news (video)
- Indigenous students need bilingual education - ABC online
- Call for Indigenous languages in schools - ABC news (video)

Exciting times.

Comments

Joelle said…
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-01/aboriginal-language-back-from-the-dead/4288840
7:59 am
Joelle said…
You might already be aware but I thought I'd forward this email to you. Cheers, J

Media Release
JENNY MACKLIN MP
Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Minister for Disability Reform

Improved accreditation for Indigenous interpreters

The National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) will receive $286,000 from the Australian Government to improve access to the national accreditation system for Indigenous interpreters.

NAATI is Australia’s only agency responsible for testing and accrediting translators and interpreters.

This funding will be used to develop appropriate testing materials in Indigenous languages where there is a demand for interpreting, focusing on languages spoken in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland.

This will help more of the 500 Indigenous interpreters in Australia, many of whom are studying to further develop their skills, to gain NAATI accreditation.

NAATI will work with the Indigenous interpreting sector, Indigenous language speakers and linguists to develop the testing material.

This funding builds on a similar project between NAATI and the Northern Territory Aboriginal Interpreter Service, which will increase the number of Northern Territory interpreters with NAATI credentials at all levels, particularly accrediting more interpreters at the professional level.

Interpreters play an important role in overcoming language barriers for Indigenous people with English as a second, third or even fourth language.

Interpreters are trained in professional ethics and confidentiality to assist people with their communication and in the court process.

They help people to receive appropriate care and understand their rights and responsibilities, and make sure voices are heard in the development and delivery of government policies.

We want to ensure that qualified and accredited Indigenous interpreters are available to improve communication between government, service delivery agencies and Indigenous people.

This funding is in addition to the Government’s investment of $427 million over 10 years under the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory package to improve the way governments and communities work together, including support for the Northern Territory Aboriginal Interpreter Service to recruit, train and mentor interpreters.


Date: 5 October 2012

Media Contact: Gerard Richardson 0417066818

8:25 am
Greg Dickson said…
Thanks Joelle. I hadn't seen that!
8:31 am
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A conference, language policy and Aboriginal languages in Federal Parliament

The other day, I was priveleged in attending a TESOL symposium about 'Keeping Language Diversity Alive'. One of the speakers, Joseph Lo Bianco was excellent and discussed Language Policy. He gave a handout at one of his sessions that I'm going to type out in full here, because it was a real eye-opener. It's from the Official Hansard of the Federal Parliament from a debate that happened on 10/12/98. Here's how it went: Mr SNOWDON: My question is to the Prime Minister. Is the Prime Minister aware of the decision by the Northern Territory government to phase out bilingual education in Aboriginal schools? Is the Prime Minister also aware that his government funds bilingual education programs in Papua New Guinea and Vietnam? Prime Minister, given that article 26(3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children, will you take a direct approach to the Norther
6 comments
Luk mowa >>

The pitiful state of Recommendation 11.6 of the NT Fracking (Pepper) Inquiry

Today the NT Government announced that it's ok to start fracking the Beetaloo Basin, claiming that all 135 recommendations from the 2018 Pepper Inquiry report have been met and, therefore, fracking can proceed.  Most of the recommendations - and you can go through them all here:  Action items | Hydraulic Fracturing in the Northern Territory  - are outside my field of expertise as a linguist. There's a lot of regulatory stuff, things about the mining industry, stuff about land and water management that others know much more about than me.  However, as a linguist working in the Katherine Region for 20 years, there is one recommendation that sits in my wheelhouse so, after today's announcement, I wanted to take a look at it. It's Recommendation 11.6, which says: That in collaboration with the Government, Land Councils and AAPA, an independent, third-party designs and implements an information program to ensure that reliable, accessible, trusted and accurate information ab
Post a Comment
Luk mowa >>

Subtle features of Aboriginal English that I love: agreeing or confirming by copying

Linguists aren't supposed to play favourites, but I love Aboriginal English. Maybe because it's what the love of my life speaks and separating language from people and society isn't a realistic prospect. I'm lucky to regularly be around Aboriginal people speaking English in all sorts of ways and privileged to have insights into some of the more subtle ways in which Aboriginal ways of using English differ from the suburban white English I grew up speaking.  I want to share some of these more subtle features. Not just because I am fond of them but also because they seem to be features that escape the attention of most academic discussions of Aboriginal English / Aboriginal ways of using English. I'm going to skip over the complexities of what Aboriginal English is (and isn't) and also if/why that label is worth using at all (a chapter I wrote on Aboriginal English(es) dips into some of that discussion - email me if you want a copy). For brevity's sake, let
1 comment
Luk mowa >>