Academics urge government to heed indigenous language report (fwd link)

[Phillip E Cash Cash]

Academics urge government to heed indigenous language report

September 26, 2012
AUS

A group of indigenous language researchers from the University of
Melbourne is calling on the Federal Government to implement a proposal
to introduce bilingual teaching programs in some schools.

The proposal was one of 30 recommendations made last week by a Federal
Parliamentary inquiry into language learning in indigenous
communities.

Professor Gillian Wigglesworth, the Director of the University's
Indigenous Language Research Unit, said bilingual education was vital
to the development of young children in communities where languages
other than English were spoken at home.

"Without a bilingual program, children are being taught in a language
they are not familiar with. This means they often don't understand
what is going on, and then don't engage," she said.

Access full article below:
http://phys.org/news/2012-09-academics-urge-heed-indigenous-language.html#jCp