Master Apprentice in Australia

[Robert Hoogenraad]

Hi Margaret, Myf,
I did indeed set up that arrangement, but I wouldn't describe it as a 
Master-Apprentice relationaship.  She was in a Traineeship. Myf was 
the mentor, but the sessions with the Kaytetye language speakers were 
really just that: lessons, as part of a special arrangement with UNE 
that they recognise one of Batchelor's units, under which she did the 
language lessons as just one component.

There are, in Central Australia, some instances of a young person 
(usually a woman) having a special relationship with one, or usually 
a small  group, of senior women (or men?), in which they learn more 
in depth about their culture - and hence language - than other young 
people do. But these are relationships that the young persons set up 
themselves, with senior kin. They are in no way formalised, at least 
in the instances I know of.

And yes, it was very diffcult to set up: all the funding agencies 
talked support, but all flicked me on to another, round in circles. 
AIATSIS in the end was the most helpful, but their base of funding 
for projects was (and probably still is) very low.

Cheers, Hoogie

At 11:49 +1000 8/5/08, myf turpin wrote:
>Hi Margaret
>
>Although no longer operating, I was involved in a Master-Apprentive style
>program back in 1996-2000 at the Dictionaries Program at the Institute for
>Aboriginal Development (IAD) in Alice Springs. It was set up by NTED
>linguist Robert Hoogenraad. It was a complex funding-training arrangement,
>so he would be able to give you more accurate details on this, which I
>believe was a lot of work.
>
>I was employed by IAD as a linguist to compile a Kaytetye Dictionary, but
>part of my role was trainer & mentor for a young Kaytetye woman (a
>non-language speaker) who was enrolled at UNE's first year linguistics
>program. UNE recognised Batchelor College CALL's course (co-ordinated by Joe
>Caffery) and she received one-on-one language Kaytetye lessons with 2
>language speakers weekly, which I helped coordinate and direct, and did  the
>assessment for. These were always fun, but very time consuming to make
>happen.  At IAD she received Kaytetye specific linguistics training, did
>transcription and language analysis and went on field trips with me,
>recording wordlists, stories etc. This work was also recognised by Batchelor
>and UNE.
>
>The arrangement ceased when the trainee went on matenity leave, though there
>might have been some funding issues (check with Robert). She did a
>vernacular literacy course at IAD a year later, which again I tutored her
>in. My relationship with the trainee, which was always very close,
>continued, and we rode through some ups and downs (I wrote about some
>aspects of this in my PhD). After further maternity leave she didnt return
>to language studies, though did occassional transcription work. I recently
>wote a referee report for her and she was accepted into social work at
>University of South Australia, which she is currently enjoying.
>
>Cheers
>Myf
>
>
>>  From: Margaret Florey <Margaret.Florey at arts.monash.edu.au>
>>  Date: Wed, 07 May 2008 15:46:04 +1000
>>  To: Resource-Network-Linguistic-Diversity at unimelb.edu.au
>>  Subject: Master Apprentice in Australia
>>
>>  Dear RNLD-ers,
>>
>>  Does anyone know of examples of the Master-Apprentice Program being used
>>  with Australian Indigenous languages? I know it's been recommended for
>>  use (in NILS, and in relation to NSW languages), and I'd appreciate
>>  hearing of any cases.
>>
>>  best wishes,
>>  Margaret
>>
>>  --
>>  Dr Margaret Florey
>>  Senior Lecturer
>>  Linguistics Program
>>  School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics
>>  Monash University
>>  Victoria 3800
>>  Australia
>>  Tel: +61 (0)3 9905-2237
>>  Fax: +61 (0)3 9905-5437
>>  Email: Margaret.Florey at arts.monash.edu.au
>>  Home page: http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/linguistics/staff/mflorey.php
>>
>>  Studies in Language Endangerment
>>  Web Site: http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/ling/pglangen/
>>
>>  Maluku Endangered Languages Project
>  > Email: Maluku at arts.monash.edu.au
>>  Fax: +61 (0)3 9905-8492
>>  Web Site http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/ling/maluku/
>>


-- 
Robert Hoogenraad, Linguist
e-mail: <hoogie at netspace.net.au>
phone (08) 89 52 6564; fax (08) 89 52 5972
PO Box 8285, Alice Springs, NT 0871