Aboriginal Language Course

At GippsTAFE there are Aboriginal Language courses for Aboriginal students to assist them with skills to Revive, teach and reclaim their own Traditional Aboriginal Languages.

We have been teaching skills for Aboriginal community since 2005 and are currently delivering the Certificate 3 and Certificate 4 in Australian Language and Cultural Heritage

Course Overview

This course is primarily for Indigenous Australians it provides you with the practical skills and knowledge relating to Australian languages, traditional knowledge and cultural heritage.

It will also enable you to organize, develop or manage language programs in your own communities, and provide training to people who are employed in government and community language and cultural heritage programs.

You will also gain formal recognition of your existing linguistic and cultural knowledge. You will determine or gain proficiency of an Australian language, learn about the structure of Australian languages, record and transcribe traditional knowledge and learn skills that enable you to develop culturally relevant resource materials to help language and cultural heritage workers to become more effective in the workplace.

You will also learn how to use new technology to promote Australian languages and traditional knowledge, making resources.

Employment Prospects

Employment opportunities in the Education area, Languages Other Than English (LOTE), Koorie Educator, Koorie Education Support Officers & Further studies for Masters.

It will also enable you to organize, develop or manage language programs in your own communities, and provide training to people who are employed in government and community language and cultural heritage programs.

In 2009 there were 17 graduates from across Victoria I taught students from Warrnambool up to Wodonga and down into far East Gippsland Mallacoota.  These students have gone on to continue working on reviving, teaching and reclaiming their languages.  One of my students is the Manager of the Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages, I have other students who work in Early childhood area and is now doing her Bachelor of Early childhood and she will be finished that degree in 2 years as well as completing the Certificate 4.  Other students work in schools to teach Aboriginal Languages.

Lynne with the Graduating student from the Koorie Unit at GippsTAFE 2009

Contact GippsTAFE Morwell if you are interested the course is set up so that you can do workbooks, online classes or do workshops and face to face classes .

Aboriginal Languages, cultures and protocols P-10

Currently in Australia, Aboriginal people are still working towards control over their own cultures, Languages, lands and community life. In addition, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people are gradually seeing increased efforts to share the burden of this goal. The accreditation of a program for Aboriginal

Language learning in Victorian schools supports this reclamation of selfdetermination through reclamation and revival of Language and culture. This in turn contributes to healing within Aboriginal communities and of the nation as a whole.

Language reclamation initiatives

The last 15 years or so have seen a movement to reclaim Language across Victorian communities. Gunditjmara, Gunnai, Wathaurong, Yorta Yorta, Wergaia, Kulin groups and Waywurru/Dhudhuroa are just some of the Language groups which have made concerted efforts towards reconstructing and relearning their Languages, creating resources from calendars to dictionaries, and bringing the Languages into the public eye through speeches in Language, public noticeboards, informal classroom teaching, and other

means.

It is on this wave of interest in Language reclamation that the new initiative to accredit Language in schools emerges. Schools should see themselves as implementing the work that communities are doing, providing a means to pass on the reclamation of Language to students in

See the document for teaching Aboriginal Languages and Cultures to years Preps to years 10

http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/downloads/vels_standards/vels_aboriginal_languages.pdf

VCE Indigenous Languages Revival and Reclamation study

THE INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES OF VICTORIA

The Indigenous languages of Victoria form part of the Australian Language Family. They share similar features with other Australian Indigenous languages.

Over two hundred and fifty languages and even more language varieties were spoken in Australia prior to colonisation. Many of these languages are no longer in everyday use; some are spoken only for special purposes (such as ceremonies). Some exist only in manuscripts, some are ‘sleeping’ and some exist in name only. There may even be languages of which we no longer have any knowledge and which are unlikely to ever be reclaimed. This loss of Australia’s Indigenous linguistic heritage is a direct result of contact with English, despite the remarkable inventiveness of Indigenous Australians to withstand absorption of language and culture.

Language displacement and loss have particularly affected Victoria and Tasmania where Indigenous languages are no longer spoken as the primary means of communication. Even so, most Indigenous Victorians are aware of their language heritage, although some may recall only fragments of the language passed down over several generations since English settlement. Indigenous Victorians have maintained their oral traditions when and where they can, despite continual removal and displacement. These oral traditions constitute the most important body of knowledge on the languages. Other material is available in local, state and national archives and libraries.

The history of the Victorian Indigenous people’s struggle to maintain their cultural heritage, language and identity is truly inspirational to most Australians. Their resourcefulness to withstand absorption of culture and the rebuilding of Indigenous is remarkable. With the assistance of teachers and the Victorian Indigenous community, further progress can be a reality. Despite the history of suppressed Indigenous languages, many Victorian Indigenous people celebrate their survival and advocate strongly for their maintenance.

From the nineteenth century, written information about Indigenous languages was recorded by ‘protectors’, the clergy, squatters, police officers and other interested groups who were in contact with Aboriginal people. In the 1960s, for example, Luise Hercus recorded Indigenous Victorians on tape, speaking their languages.

 THE VICTORIAN/AUSTRALIAN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES OVERVIEW

The Victorian/Australian Indigenous languages overview makes students aware of the rich variety of the Australian Family of Languages, their key characteristics, common and diverse histories since colonisation, and relevance to contemporary society. The Victorian/Australian Indigenous languages overview utilises a variety of strategies to explore issues such as the key features of the languages; their distribution; sound and writing systems; vocabulary, grammar and symbolic representations/ interpretations. This area of study enables students to apply parallels from other Indigenous languages to advance the revival and reclamation of the target language.

SKILLS FOR LANGUAGE RECLAMATION

This area of study provides students with the knowledge and skills to retrieve and reclaim the target language using appropriate strategies and tools. These include protocols for community consultation, and accessing linguistic and cultural knowledge, including vocabulary, grammar and symbolic representations/interpretations, through a variety of means such as community contacts and resources, artefacts, historical records, archival collections and electronic databases. It also enables students to process, analyse and evaluate the source material gathered.

CREATIVE USE OF THE TARGET LANGUAGE

This area of study enables students to use the target language creatively in an expanding range of contexts. It also provides students with opportunities to share their active knowledge of the target language with others through the development of focused activities.

Aboriginal students in Secondary schools across Victorian can do the VCE program developed for Aboriginal students doing their VCE years they can start this in year 10.  It is taught as an online class through the Koorie Unit at GippsTAFE  eamil Lynnette on lynnetteso@gippstafe.edu.au

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/vce/ausindigenous/IndigenousSD.pdf

A letter from my Granddaughter 'Why don't we learn our own Aboriginal Languages in school?'

I asked my Grand daughter should we teach our Aboriginal Languages in schools and this is what she had to say about it. She is in Grade 6 and goes to Rosedale Primary school here in Victoria. I will write the letter here just how she gave it to me, she is 11 years old and when she was born I was able to pick a name for her so I picked our Language name and she has Woolberi Ngarawert in  her name which means 'Rain' 'Butterfly' so that our language is passed on.

Here is her letter

Intro: I will be saying why not have classes to teach Aboriginal Languages and Culture.

Reason 1
We should have classes because the land we are on (Australia) is the land that Aboriginals lived in and they are the people that live in Australia and we should know about our own Language.  My Moodjahn Lynnette has taught us our language since we were little.

Reason 2
Another reason is because schools are doing French and other Languages but the thing is, we don't live in France or London or other countries. So why not do a Language from the people in our country.

I think my school  will learn a lot and have a chance at doing a different Language and learning about the Aboriginals and their Language and culture.

So why not do Aboriginal Languages because it's stupid to do French or German and them other countries. So why not do Aboriginal Languages. Please think about it.

This is my Moodjahn and some of our family

There are many communities Reviving their Languages

Across Victoria there are a number of communities involved in Teaching and Reviving their own Aboriginal Languages belonging to particular places.

The Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages (VACL) have been involved in supporting the reviving and reclamation of our Aboriginal Languages since 1994 with Uncle Sandy (John) Atkinson as Chairperson.  I have been involved with the VACL since 1995 until 2003 and was the Secretary of the organisation  but stepping away when I became ill. 

I am still involved in the reviving and reclamation of our Aboriginal Languages and Cultures and wrote the P-10 Aboriginal Languages and Cultures Standards with Dr Christina Eira from VACL for the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority and Aboriginal Languages as part of LOTE (Languages other than English) can now be taught to our children at school.

Why do I think this is important?  Firstly we are the first peoples of Australia and we teach a number of Languages in our schools, so why not learn about our Aboriginal Languages and cultures.

Saying and writing our Aboriginal words is different from how non-Aboriginal people say them so only us as Aboriginal people should say the words but for many of our community members and Elders they want people to know about their Languages and our way of life but it is also a very controversial issue as well, I hope that there will be the teaching of our Aboriginal Languages in many more schools with the schools working with our community and Elders in their community to assist.

The teaching of our Aboriginal Languages is not how other LOTEs are taught you cant just get a dictionary and decide to teach our Aboriginal Languages as many people do with other LOTEs our Aboriginal Languages are intertwined with culture, it is taught in context of the country to which the Language belongs and our belief is that you don't teach another Aboriginal Language in your country unless you have permission from the Elders in your community and also permission from the Elders of whose Language you wish to teach, just as we did do in 1987 to 1995 when the teaching of Bundjalung was taught at the Monash University Gippsland, firstly being taught by a Traditional owner and speaker of that Language who taught me and then when he went back to Casino NSW I visited the Bundjaulng community to seek permission to continue the teaching which was granted this is the protocol we follow when teaching Aboriginal Languages and we would assist that schools follow and support protocols when they are interested in teaching an Aboriginal Language and culture program in their school.

Currently in 2012 there is Aboriginal Languages being learnt at Woolum Bellum Koorie Pathways school years 7-10 which I am currently the Leading teacher working with disengaged Koorie youth from their mainstream schools.  The way to engage is to teach about who they are and that is done through the learning of their Aboriginal Languages and Culture.  We visit Elders, go on Camps, Excursions to special places and learn the history and culture of those places along with the language names.

Healsville Secondary college and Thornbury Primary school are learning Woiwurrung Language the people from the Kulin Nation around Melbourne area.  I am also working with the Bright Secondary college and they have students in their VCE years with students from the WADEYE community in NT learning and reviving reclaiming Aboriginal Languages.  There are a number of other programs down the Warrnambool way also.

As a grandparent now with grandchildren in school and going into Secondary schools I don't want them learning about other Languages I want them to learn about how rich our Aboriginal Languages were and still are.  They also have voiced their own opinions about learning Aboriginal Languages.  My Uncle Max who is my Dads younger brother has been involved with me going to kindergartens and schools to talk about our Languages and culture. The two little ones in pink are my grand daughters in 2004 who were always so excited to Have Uncle Max come, and there are many other Elders doing the same kinds of work across Victoria

Languages of Victoria

Languages of Victoria

Where I lived

There are 38 Indigenous Languages in Victoria. Before Australia was colonised there were no States and Territories therefore these 38 language groups were part of the total Indigenous languages of Australia totally around 750. The Language groups of the Gippsland area are the Brataualung, Braikaulung, Tatungalung, Brabralung and Krauatungalung. The people of Gippsland would also have had knowledge of the bordering language groups those being the Boonwurrung, Woiwurrung, DaungWurrung, Way wurru/Dhudhuroa, Bidawal and my Grandfather's and Father's people are the Monero/Ngarigo of far east Gippsland and the High Plains to Jindabyne. I grew up in Krauatungalung country living in, Bemm River, Cabbage Tree Creek, Newmerella, Lochend and then into Orbost. I went to school in Orbost, met my husband Jeffrey Dent who was born in Orbost, we was married in Orbost and three of our children were born in Orbost and my other two children were born in Traralgon. My Great Grandfather is buried in Orbost as is my father Norman and mother Lucy Jean and our twins Grace & Charity. I grew up with Aunties who spoke their traditional language and English was their second language. My Aunty Beppe lived on the river bank of the Snowy River in a little humpy in the bean paddock and I often stayed with her. I am one of nine children, I have four sisters and four brothers and am the second eldest. I was very lucky to grow up very close to my cousins who in Koorie way are my brothers and sisters. I teach at Woolum Bellum Koorie Pathways school as Leading Teacher with Rex who is my cousin but in koorie way he is my brother because his father and my father are brothers. I also teach at GippsTAFE with my cousin Doris. I am related to Doris through her mother who is a Ngarigo/Gunnai woman.