Tags
aboriginal, Australia, Australian, endangered languages, language policy, language revitalization, languages
Here is some excellent news out of Australia to end this week on: Crikey‘s language blog is reporting that the government of the Northern Territories has dropped its policy requiring four hours of instruction in English for school children. The blog post explains the policy and why it’s so detrimental to Aboriginal languages in the NT, and why its disappearance is such a relief. (The Linguistics Society of America has a post that goes into more detail about the policy and what happens now.) Hopefully this gives these languages, and the children from the communities who speak them, more of a fighting chance.
To celebrate this news, I’d like to share with you some music by an incredible musician named Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, who creates gorgeous music in his native Yolngu language.
Hurray for Australian languages! And happy Friday!
polyglossic 