File '16 Wangka Maya response', in ASEDA item 0380.
/** aust.languages: 16.0 **/
** Topic: White Paper response -
PALC **
** Written 2:28 pm
Oct 25, 1991 by aiatsis in peg:aust.languages **
*Response to
*Australia's Language: The
Australian Language and Literacy Policy
*(This response specifically
addresses the special needs of
Aboriginal *and Torres Strait
Islander languages)
by Wangka Maya Pilbara
Aboriginal Language Centre (Aboriginal
Corporation)
Phone: (091) 732621,
Fax: (091) 732673 3 Edgar St. Port Hedland,
P.O. Box 693, Port Hedland,
Western Australia 6721, e-mail:
alcphang@peg.pegasus.oz.au
1. Introduction: The
Management Committee and staff of Wangka
Maya, Pilbara Aboriginal Language
Centre support the philosophical
basis pertaining to Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander
languages which is outlined in
Goal Three of the Australian
Languages and Literacy Policy
(ALLP). In particular, we support
the adoption of a National
Aboriginal Language and Literacy
Strategy (NALLS) to target the
specific language and literacy
needs of Aboriginal people.
We are pleased to note that the ALLP
recognizes the long-standing
neglect of Australia's indigenous
languages (pp. 89-96) and plans
to redress this neglect through
increased funding, support for
regional Aboriginal language
centres, and the identification
of Aboriginal languages as
priority languages for the
teaching of Languages Other Than
English (LOTEs). We are
encouraged to see that the policy
reflects the submissions written
by people involved in the
maintenance of Australia's
indigenous languages, and the input of
representatives from language
centres and language projects who
attended the "Living with
Languages" workshop in Canberra in April
1991.
2. The Structure of
Regional Aboriginal Language Centres: We
support the undertaking to
establish an Aboriginal Languages
Initiatives Program (ALIP) to
implement the NALLS, and, in
particular, the commitment under
the ALIP initiative to fund
recurrently regional Aboriginal
language centres (pp. 94-96). We
consider it essential, however,
that further discussion takes
place with the staff and
management committee members of existing
language centres in order to
determine the most viable structure
for the proposed network of
regional Aboriginal language centres.
Representatives from four Western
Australian Language Centres and
Pundulmurra College met in Broome
in August 1991 to discuss the
future of regional Aboriginal
language centres, concerns about the
present structure of language
centres, and the ways in which
language centres can best achieve
their goal of Aboriginal
language maintenance. The
representatives present at the workshop
have extensive experience in all
aspects of Aboriginal language
maintenance, including the
recording and analysis of Aboriginal
languages, training of Aboriginal
language workers and
establishing and supporting
school language programs.
2.1. Issues: Several
concerns about the present structure of
language centres were
expressed. First, all those present at the
workshop were in agreement that
Aboriginal language maintenance
can best be achieved at the
community level. Representatives
noted that, under the existing
model of regional Aboriginal
language centres, linguists are
based in a centralized office
within each region and travel to
communities for short periods to
undertake fieldwork for specific
projects. Much of the
linguist's work, therefore, takes
place in the regional office.
However, the linguist is
frequently diverted from linguistic
research and materials production
and instead becomes involved in
administrative tasks such as
submission writing and bookkeeping,
and the training of staff.
Second, representatives expressed
their concern that current
staffing levels, together with
funding restrictions, limit the
ability of language centre staff
to fully serve the regions which
they represent. In the
past, language centres have not been able
to meet all of the requests which
have come from communities,
schools, and other organizations
for language projects to be
undertaken. We are also
aware that not all Aboriginal communities
are familiar with the work of
language centres.
Third, representatives recognized
that some of the difficulties
which language centres experience
in attracting well-qualified
staff stem from lack of
knowledge within the academic community
of the work which language
centres undertake. A further reason
for staffing difficulties can be
ascribed to continual funding
crises and the lack of parity
between the working conditions of
staff in language centres and
comparable positions elsewhere (e.g.
public service, tertiary
institutions, schools, etc.).
2.2. Solutions:
Representatives agreed that, despite these
concerns, regional Aboriginal
language centres have made great
progress towards the goal of
maintaining Aboriginal languages.
The existing centres have the
support and participation of many
Aboriginal people in their
regions. However, some changes in
structure are necessary in order
to begin to reverse the process
of the loss of Australia's
Aboriginal languages, and to encourage
their maintenance into the next
century. In order to address the
concerns which were raised at the
workshop, several models of
regional Aboriginal language
centres were discussed and various
solutions proposed.
First, in acknowledging that
language maintenance work will be
most effective if it is based in
Aboriginal communities rather
than being centralized in towns,
representatives stated that it
must be clear that the main
function of regional Aboriginal
language centres is to act as
support centres for community-based
language projects. In other
words, language centres are largely
administrative centres, rather
than places in which language work
occurs. Linguists
undertaking language projects must be based
primarily in communities.
Second, in order to free
linguists from office tasks and to liaise
effectively with Aboriginal
communities, tertiary institutions and
the wider Australian public, a
new permanent position, that of
Project Officer, needs to be
created. The project officer's
primary task would be to liaise
with Aboriginal communities to
assess Aboriginal language
maintenance needs and plan
community-based language
projects. It is essential that the
project officer has a tertiary
qualification in linguistics (or
equivalent relevant experience)
in order to be able to assess
accurately the requirements of
each project. While the project
officer would not undertake field
research, we expect that s/he
would be involved in on-going
projects such as school language
programs and the tutoring of
language workers in the Certificate
in Aboriginal Language Work
course (C.A.L.W.). The project
officer would also publicize the
work of language centres, write
submissions for funding, maintain
databases of linguistic
information, and assist in the
training of office staff (e.g., the
administrator).
The project officer would work with the
regional language centre's
management committee to prioritize
projects for each calendar year.
Third, under this model of
language centres, linguists would not
be permanent staff members based
in the regional office, but would
be hired on a contract basis to
undertake community-based language
projects. The details of
each project would be set out in a
contract which is negotiated by
the project officer between the
community, the Language Centre,
and the linguist. Language
workers and language specialists
would be selected by their
community and hired for the
duration of each project to be trained
and work alongside the
linguist. This would ensure that more
community members have the skills
to continue to work towards
language maintenance in their
community once the project has been
completed. Projects would
be overseen by the project officer
working with a community project
management committee. Because of
the number of languages covered
in each region, we expect that
most projects would be short-term
(between one and three months
duration).
2.3. Staffing, Conditions
of Employment, and Budgetary
Requirements:
Based on the model of regional Aboriginal
language centres described above,
the minimum staffing levels for
each centre would be: project
officer, administrator and language
worker. It is essential
that the budget allows for contract
linguists (minimally the
equivalent of one full-time salary), and
for payment of community-based
language workers and language
specialists.
In order to address concerns
regarding the lack of parity between
the working conditions of staff
in language centres and comparable
positions elsewhere,
representatives at the workshop considered
that an industrial award needs to
be written to cover all language
centre employees. We drew
up recommendations for salary scales
and minimum working conditions.
The minimum annual budgetary
requirements for each regional
language centre has been
estimated at approximately $225,000.
This figure is based on annual
operational costs of $35,000,
fieldwork expenses of $65,000
(payment of casual language workers
and language specialists, fuel,
accomodation, and travel
allowance), and salaries
totalling $125,000 per annum (full-time
wages for an administrator,
project officer, language worker and
linguist).
3. Language Other Than
English: Wangka Maya supports the
identification of Aboriginal
languages as priority languages for
the teaching of LOTEs. The
teaching of Aboriginal languages in
schools will assist in raising
the status of these languages and
the self-esteem of speakers, and
will thus contribute to the goal
of Aboriginal language
maintenance.
The ALLP recognizes that
bilingual education programs are
appropriate for Aboriginal
children of non-English speaking
background (p.79) and are the
most effective means of giving
status to a child's first
language. However, there is little
focus within the ALLP on means of
implementing bilingual education
programs. We consider that,
if the ALLP is to contain references
to the value of bilingual
education, it is essential that adequate
funding and facilities be
provided for the training of the
specialist staff who will be
needed to work in bilingual schools.
It is also important that schools
and regions are identified in
which bilingual education could
appropriately be introduced.
Language Centres will continue to
support the implementation and
development of school language
programs aimed at the teaching of
Australian Aboriginal
languages. This support can include
participation in the training of
Aboriginal language workers,
involvement by language centre
linguists as members of "language
teams", liaison with Aboriginal
communities to identify language
specialists and encourage
participation in the school program,
supplying linguistic resources
(wordlists, picture dictionaries,
storybooks, etc.) to the school
and assisting schools in the
production of new resources, and,
where required, undertaking
linguistic research necessary for
the successful implementation of
the language program.
We also strongly suggest that
compulsory in-servicing of staff
with regard to Aboriginal
languages and culture be introduced in
all schools with an Aboriginal
student population, regardless of
whether or not the school plans
to establish a language program.
This is essential in order that
school staff can accurately assess
the language needs of their
students. We also suggest that the
position of language consultant
be created and based in Regional
Education offices to deal with
the on-going needs of schools with
regard to language.
DEET and the State Ministries of
Education must demonstrate their
commitment to school language
programs by providing the schools
with a realistic budget that
allows for the training of language
workers, payment of Aboriginal
language specialists, payment of
consultant linguists and the
purchase of resources. The quality
of resources produced for
Aboriginal language and cultural
programs must be of a level
comparable to resources produced for
other curricula areas. This
is essential if the status of
Aboriginal languages is to be
raised for both Aboriginal and
non-Aboriginal people.
Provision must also be made for A.E.W.'s
and teachers to be released from
their classroom responsibilities
in order to take part in language
training workshops and
in-services.
4. Language Worker Training
Needs: The ALLP notes that one of
the goals of the National
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Education Policy (AEP) is to
increase the number of Aboriginal
people engaged in the teaching of
Aboriginal languages. This goal
cannot be achieved without
appropriate support for the training of
Aboriginal people as language
workers. Training in language work
is also a vital part of the
process of Aboriginal language
maintenance. At present,
only one course exists in Western
Australia which addresses the
linguistic training needs of
Aboriginal people; the
Certificate in Aboriginal Language Work, an
on-site course based at
Pundulmurra College. While training of
language workers also takes place
in language centres, at present
this occurs on a much more
limited basis due to funding
limitations.
We consider that the training
needs of Aboriginal language workers
can best be served by basing
training programs in regional
Aboriginal language
centres. The ALLP acknowledges that regional
Aboriginal language centres play
an important role in the
maintenance of Australia's
indigenous languages. Aboriginal
language centres exist for the
sole purpose of working towards the
maintenance of Aboriginal
languages. Therefore language worker
training programs would not have
to compete with other programs
within an institution for
resources and administrative support.
Regional Aboriginal language
centres have skilled staff (linguists
and teacher-linguists) who could
increase their participation in
the tutoring of language
workers. The centres also have the
infrastructure to support
language worker training programs;
including administrative
facilities, linguistic resources, and
well-established links with
Aboriginal communities, the network of
Australian language centres and
academic institutions.
5. Allocation of
resources: We remain concerned about the means
by which the allocation of
funding to regional language centres is
to be determined. We
consider it vital that decisions regarding
the prioritizing of language
projects and the allocation of
resources occurs on a regional,
rather than national, level.
However, we are disturbed about
the possibility that the
administration of funding and
decisions about the allocation of
resources may be made by ATSIC
(p.91). We fully support the goal
of "Aboriginal decision-making on
issues affecting Aboriginal
languages" (p.90). We also
respect the ability of ATSIC
councillors to represent
Aboriginal people, and to identify their
needs and allocate resources.
However, the councillors'
responsibilities cover a very
wide range of issues. The
prioritizing of language
maintenance needs is a complex process
which is best undertaken by
people with experience in language
maintenance issues who can assess
the language needs of particular
communities and proposed language
projects.
The ALLP states that the NALLS
will include "the development of
effective arrangements to allow
Aboriginal people to make
decisions about Aboriginal
language and literacy issues" (p.94).
We suggest that serious
consideration be given to the creation of
a new organization which draws
upon the expertise of the staff and
elected management committees of
language centres, together with
representatives from existing
language-focussed organizations such
as the Aboriginal Languages
Association and the Australian
Institute of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Studies
(AIATSIS). Such an
organization could, in consultation with DEET,
prioritize needs and allocate
resources.
This document has been prepared
on behalf of the staff and
management committee of Wangka
Maya, Pilbara Aboriginal Language
Centre, and the staff of the
Certificate in Aboriginal Language
Work, Pundulmurra College, and in
consultation with linguists and
language workers involved in
Aboriginal language maintenance in
Western Australia.
(Dr.) Margaret J. Florey
(Linguist, P.A.L.C.)
Notes
1 Yamaji Language Centre,
Geraldton; Mirima Dawang Woorlab-Gering,
Kununurra; Kimberley Language
Resource Centre, Halls Creek and
Fitzroy Crossing; and Wangka Maya
Pilbara Aboriginal Language
Centre, Port Hedland.
2 Representing the
Certificate in Aboriginal Language Work
course.
3 In Western Australia, for
example, the Wangka Maya office in
Port Hedland serves the Pilbara
region, while the Halls Creek
office of the Kimberley Language
Resource Centre primarily serves
the east Kimberley, and the
Fitzroy Crossing office serves the
west Kimberley.
4 A draft duty statement
for the project officer's position is
appended.
5 A draft duty statement for the
linguist's position is appended.
6 Draft duty statements for an
office-based language worker and
administrator are appended.
7 These recommendations are
appended. Discussions concerning an
industrial award are being held
with two unions in Perth.
8 "Language specialists" are
fluent speakers of an Aboriginal
language, who may not be literate
in either the Aboriginal
language or English.
9 For example, this may
involve recording a language where
previous linguistic research is
limited or non-existent.
10 During consultations
with school staff around the Pilbara,
language centre staff were often
told that A.E.W.'s have been
prevented from participating in
language training workshops
because of the absence of
arrangements for the replacement of
A.E.W.'s in classrooms on such
occasions.
11 Training in
Aboriginal language work involves learning skills
such as literacy in Aboriginal
languages, materials preparation,
fieldwork skills, and knowledge
of basic linguistic techniques for
the recording and analysis of
languages.
12 After a conference of
Aboriginal people decided that a language
worker training course was
essential for the future of language
maintenance, this course
was established at Pundulmurra College
after being approached by
representatives from Wangka Maya,
Pilbara Aboriginal Language
Centre.
13 Alternatively, an
appropriate state-level department, such as
the Aboriginal Affairs Planning
Authority in Western Australia,
could assist the new organization
in the allocation and
administration of resources.
For the contents of the following
appendices contact alcphang or
aiatsis
APPENDIX 1: DUTY STATEMENTS
APPENDIX 2: SALARY SCALES
& MINIMUM WORKING CONDITIONS
** End of text from
peg:aust.languages **