Survey to help save Aboriginal tongues (fwd)

[Phil CashCash]

Survey to help save Aboriginal tongues

http://www.abc.net.au/news/australia/sa/metsa-17nov2003-2.htm
Posted: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 9:29 ACST

A national survey of Aboriginal languages will be undertaken in an
effort to stop a further deterioration of traditional dialects.

It is thought that one Indigenous language is lost each year and the
survey will aim to develop a policy for their preservation.

University of South Australia lecturer Bill Edwards says Aboriginal
languages are slowly dying because of modern pressures.

"With all the pressures of globalisation and media and television, some
of the younger ones in communities, even where languages are strong,
are now tending to speak with English or a mixture of English and their
Indigenous language," he said.

"The experts have made some fairly pessimistic predictions because of
these changes that are happening in even remote Aboriginal
communities."