Text Size

Teaching Programs

Those who learn a language should consider themselves priviledged. Aboriginal languages are thousands of years old and are beautiful languages to speak, but if your sole language experience is English, you will at first find the structure strange and perhaps a little difficult.

Some people say, "I will just go and sit down with some Aboriginal people and they can teach me their language". This is a very slow way to learn the language and you might actually experience rejection from the people. There are many reasons for this. One reason is that the Language speaker will be starting with someone who has done no initial work on the language, like a child just starting to learn and so it is extremely hard for both parties.
Aboriginal languages have many sounds and different ways of writing those sounds. You need to learn these sounds and the way they are written. So it is much better to join language class and/or get your hands on some language learning resources and start with them.
You will still need to learn as a child learns his/her own language. You see-hear-mimic-are corrected-mimic again -and practice.  Remember, you need to learn to hear and speak a language, not to read and write it.

There are lots of Language teaching programs around the country. Below are a few, but if there is not one listed in your area, you could contact your local Language Centre to see if they are running classes.
If you are involved in and Language course which is not listed below we'd love you to add the details of the program  so please let us know about the work you are doing.

Adnyamathanha Ngawarla Yarramalka

Ang-Gnarra Aboriginal Corporation

Centre for Australian Languages and Linguistics (CALL)

Kaurna Warra Pintyandi

Muda Aboriginal Corporation

Ngapartji Ngapartji

NSW Board of Studies, Aboriginal Curriculum Unit

Scotdesco Aboriginal Community

West Coast Language Centre

Yuwaalaraay/Gamilaraay Language Program