<div dir="ltr"><h2 class="">Using Smart Technology to Preserve Aboriginal Languages</h2>
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the United States, Australia has no official language but is largely
monolingual in English. However, before the 18th century the country was
home to over 350 Aboriginal languages. To this day about 70 of these
languages have survived and all except roughly 20 are highly endangered.
In response to this, the New South Wales (NSW) Government created a
plan for Aboriginal affairs in 2013. Called OCHRE – opportunity, choice,
healing, responsibility, empowerment – the plan aims to support more
Aboriginal students in their schools and communities, especially through
the teaching of Aboriginal languages.</p>
<p>Recently, the NSW Aboriginal affairs minister Victor Dominello
announced $185,000 in funding for the development of an app to support
the maintenance and revitalization of five Aboriginal languages local to
New South Wales. The mobile app will provide audio recordings of
commonly used words and phrases as well as translation games in the
languages of Bundjalung, Gamilaraay/ Yuwaalaraay/ Yuwaalayaay,
Gumbaynggirr, Paakantji and North West Wiradjuri. Dominello says, “Once
developed, the app will enable knowledge holders – Aboriginal community
elders, language teachers, and students – to work collectively to learn
and record traditional language.”</p>
<p>After 20 years of pushing for Australia’s Indigenous languages to be
taught, language program coordinator Diane McNaboe says she is finally
starting to see a big breakthrough. The integration of smart technology
and mobile apps in language learning may help endangered Aboriginal
Australian languages and set the stage for other Indigenous language
speakers to do the same.</p><p><a href="http://languagemagazine.com/?page_id=123175">http://languagemagazine.com/?page_id=123175</a><br></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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