Language centre talks up jobs scheme (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

Tuesday, 2 August 2005, 11:45:11  AEST

Language centre talks up jobs scheme
http://abc.net.au/message/news/stories/ms_news_1428027.htm

The Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre says it has achieved
outstanding results from an employment program allowing Aborigines to
work in their own languages.

The Community Development Employment Program is unique to the Pilbara
region and is believed to be the first of its kind which relates
specifically to maintaining a language.

Wangka Maya's manager, Fran Haintz, says since the program began 12
months ago, more than 25 people have been employed as Aboriginal
language workers.

Ms Haintz says the languages of the region are now being used and
recorded properly.

"We have somebody analysing the differences between two Aboriginal
languages of the northern part of the Pilbara and that helps people to
understand language better and then therefore it'll be a lot stronger
because understanding it has been more intellectualised than ever
before," she said.