Pupils mark Indigenous language milestone (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

Pupils mark Indigenous language milestone

Posted Tue Jan 8, 2008 1:40pm AEDT
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/08/2134094.htm

Aboriginal students in Alice Springs have completed Year 12 studies in an
Indigenous language for the first time.

Dominique Castle from the Alice Springs language centre says five Indigenous
students received high NTCE scores in Arrernte language studies in 2007.

Ms Castle says the students' success is a good sign for the future of the
Arrernte language in the region.

"It's very important to be teaching an Indigenous language and especially to
have an Indigenous teacher who's also on the team teaching it, because students
are getting the cultural and the language aspect of it and can keep the language
alive," she said.

Ms Castle says the students even went on a study tour of New Zealand to see how
the Maori language is taught in schools.

"Our students came back very, very enthusiastic to promote the Arrernte language
and to keep it going because they realised that in New Zealand it's very, very
strong," she said.

"They're wanting the same thing to happen over here for Arrernte people."