Labels promote Inuktitut vocabulary (fwd)

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Nunatsiaq News
October 8, 2004

Labels promote Inuktitut vocabulary
For English and Inuktitut speakers, things have two names

JANE GEORGE
http://www.nunatsiaq.com/news/nunavut/41008_17.html

[photo inset- Labels like these are designed to help people recognize
letters, syllabics, and the meaning of words.]

The Nunavut Literacy Council has developed a simple and eye-catching way
to improve literacy in Nunavut: sets of labels that show an object's
name in English, Inuktitut syllabics and Roman orthography.

"Somebody had done up some labels and put them in the drugstore and
other places in town. Elders had said how great that was for them so
that they knew what they were looking at. People thought it was a
really great idea, and the labels stayed around for absolute ages,"
said Kim Crockatt, from the Nunavut Literacy Council.

The labels show the names in their singular and plural forms. There's a
set for tools and hardware labels, as well as sets for common objects
in homes, stores and offices.

"It's really important for kids and other people who are learning
Inuktitut to see things and connect them to the objects. So, it's a
great way to promote literacy and language skills," Crockatt said.

There was not enough money to produce the labels in Innuinaqtun and
French.

"When people see Inuktitut print everywhere it helps them learn to
recognize the letters and the meaning of the words. It's good for kids
too. We didn't create labels for absolutely everything but this will
give people a good start," said Quluaq Pilakapsi, the council's
Inuktitut Resource Coordinator in Rankin Inlet.

Shortly before Literacy Week, Oct. 3 to 9, schools, libraries and
learning centres received a sample of the printed labels as well the
CDs with templates for the labels.

"The CDs have PDF files so they can print them up with the nice borders.
They can also take the labels and make changes to them," Crockatt said.

The council also has instructions for making a calendar as a way to
promote Inuktitut and lots of information sheets on how parents can
help their children's literacy skills.

The labels are available through the Nunavut Literacy Council at
867-983-2678 or by sending an email to kimcr at polarnet.ca.