Case study — School programs and Gumbaynggirr language revitalisation in Northern New South Wales
Informed by Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative for Global Lessons: Indigenous languages and multilingualism in school programs
Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative is a regional language centre that provides strategic support to revitalise the languages of seven Aboriginal communities, on the central to north coast of NSW. It works closely with Elders, and local language, culture and educational organisations to conduct research, publish accessible grammar-dictionaries and develop engaging education courses and resources.
Muurrbay began in 1986, when Gumbaynggirr Elders, including Aunty Maggie Morris, joined together to revive their language with the support of linguist, Brother Steve Morelli. They accessed old recordings of the language and, drawing on Diana Eades’ thesis, analysed its grammar and produced the first Gumbaynggirr dictionary-grammar. Initially, language learning activities were focused on Elders so that they could appropriately lead Gumbaynggirr’s revival. Language classes began in 1997 and many graduates have gone on to teach Gumbaynggirr in schools and community groups.
In 2004 Muurrbay expanded to become a regional language centre, supporting a further six languages. Strategic support in project planning, linguistics, IT and teaching expertise, has assisted language revival in several communities by publishing dictionary-grammars, developing teaching resources, employing language workers and delivering community based language workshops and accredited courses. The language centre publishes a wide range of resources on Aboriginal language and culture. In-depth research, community consultation and peer review ensure high standards are maintained.
Seeing a need to deliver certified training programs that would support language learners career pathways Muurrbay registered as a Training Organisation through VETAB. For the last 20 years Muurrbay Language Centre has fostered the revival in the local Goori community of Gumbaynggirr language and culture, especially by providing recognised Certificate courses.
They delivered two courses for Gumbaynggirr learners.
- Certificate II in Gumbaynggirr Language and Culture Maintenance — 91257NSW, and
- Certificate IV in Gumbaynggirr Language and Culture Maintenance — 91258NSW
The Certificate II in Gumbaynggirr Language and Culture Maintenance was taught every Friday in TAFE term time to an enthusiastic group of largely Gumbaynggirr students, some of whom were already working in schools, and would pass on the language to other adults and children. Towards the end of 2011 Muurrbay started a pilot program aimed at Gooris in education (schools, TAFE, institutions, organisations). The initiative from principals of several schools in the Nambucca Valley and elsewhere made this viable, for employed people were encouraged to attend the course (Friday mornings from 9:00–12:00) as part of their school program.
The State Government’s release of the Ochre Plan in 2014 saw Gumbaynggirr included as one of 5 NSW languages to be funded as a ‘language nest’. ‘The Aboriginal Language and Culture Nests operate within participating schools aiming to provide Aboriginal students and their families with a continuous pathway of learning, from preschool to Year 12 and into tertiary education (TAFE and universities) and to offer Aboriginal students a new opportunity to consider language teaching as a vocation.’
Within the community use of language continues to grow and new teachers continue to be trained. Currently Muurrbay is running a Certificate III in Gumbaynggirr which is being attended by many of the Language Nest language teachers.
Muurrbay’s work is, of course, not limited to supporting Gumbaynggirr. For example, in early 2017, ten students graduated from the Gathang Certificate III course, six of whom were, or have worked as, language teachers.
The community and language leaders have made excellent use of the media in promoting and sharing their language firstly within their region and now nationally and internationally through the television series, Cleverman. In addition to work with Indigenous media partners, for several years they have collaborated with their local ABC station to broadcast a ‘word a week’ program.
The years of hard work have put language leader Gary Williams in the position of being able to take the step of teaching the actors of Cleverman Gumbaynggirr, as the primary language other than English of their multilingual characters.
Muurrbay use a ‘three step’ formula for language revival, outlined by Ash, A., Hooler, P.,Williams, G.,Walker, K. (2010) Language centres: keeping language strong, in Re-awakening languages: theory and practice in the revitalisation of Australia’s Indigenous languages.
Step one: language resources
Find out everything that is known about your language:
- Record speakers
- Collect all written records, old wordlists, placenames and grammars
- Collect all language recordings.
Step two: language analysis Analyse your materials to find out how your language works.
Linguists and language researchers should be able to assist.
- Sounds and spelling: work out the sounds of your language and a standard way to spell them. Aboriginal languages and English have some similar sounds such as a, i, u, m, n, l, w, y. Other sounds are quite different, for example most Aboriginal languages have an ‘rr’ like Scottish Robby Burns (trill/flap), allow ‘ng’ to start a word, and don’t always need to distinguish between pairs like b/p, t/d and k/g in the spelling
- Language is more than just lists of words. So how do we put words together so that we can talk in sentences? This is the grammar or rules of the language. The grammar of Aboriginal languages is very different from English. We want to remain true to the language; we don’t want to be influenced by English.
Step three: learning language and developing teaching resources
Once the basic language resources of dictionary and grammar have been produced the focus is then for community members to learn more language so they can teach kids in school, community classes, TAFE and at home.
Classes can be informal or TAFE accredited but, in either case, time needs to be spent designing them. Along the way various teaching resources can be developed such as a learner’s guide to help explain the grammar, songs, tapes, computer-based resources, games, story books and comics.
Lessons that could be learned from the Gumbaynggirr Case Study
- There are three crucial steps along the way to revitalisation and creating language programs
- Partners such as adult education providers could help spread the financial and administrative load and provide ways for adults to learn language and gain accredited skills
- Commitment from government and its departments to community goals is important for upscaling, implementation and sustainability of strong language teaching programs
- Media partners are important for raising awareness, getting language out in the world and give speakers real purposes for learning and speaking languages.
References
Ash, A., Hooler, P., Williams, G. & Walker, K. (2010). Maam ngawaala: Biindu ngaawa nyanggan bindaayili. Language Centres: Keeping language strong. In J. Hobson, K. Lowe, S. Poetsch & M. Walsh (Eds.), Re-awakening languages: Theory and practice in the revitalisation of Australia’s Indigenous languages (pp. 106–15). Sydney, N.S.W: University of Sydney Press. Retrieved from https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/6952
Australian Broadcasting Commission (2017). Cleverman: The Indigenous Languages. ABC TV YouTube [Video File]. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoQtSAkfa1k&list=PLsPVOdZ3LN6eJ UWhL-9U_vz7chvY9vSp_&index=6
Byron, A. (2008). The journey’s just begun: Enhancing schools’ capacity to partner Aboriginal communities to improve student learning — Facilitator handbook and DVD. Board of Studies NSW. Retrieved from https://ab- ed.nesa.nsw.edu.au/files/journeys-just-begun-handbook.pdf
Byron, A. (2008). Working with Aboriginal Communities: A Guide to Community Consultation and Protocols. Board of Studies NSW. Retrieved from https://ab-ed.nesa.nsw.edu.au/files/working-with-aboriginal- communities.pdf
Feez, L., (2014). Gumbaynggirr Language Class (2014). In the series as part of the A practical guide to Teaching Aboriginal Languages. NSW Board of Studies [Video File]. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from https://vimeo.com/103620327
Keen, L. (2015). Plus 20: Gumbaynggirr Language Teacher. ABC Open. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from https://open.abc.net.au/explore/112354
Keen, L. (2016). Cleverman showcases revived Indigenous languages. ABC Coffs Coast. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-04/cleverman-showcases-revival-of- indigenous-languages/7561842
Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative (2017). Gumbaynggirr. Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative website. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from http://muurrbay.org.au/languages/gumbaynggirr/
Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative (2017). Language Courses and Resources. Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co- operative website. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from http://muurrbay.org.au/publications-and-resources/courses/
Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative http://muurrbay.org.au/
Muurrbay course and resources http://muurrbay.org.au/publications-and- resources/courses/
National Register on Vocational Education and Training (2011). 91257NSW — Certificate II in Gumbaynggirr Language & Culture Maintenance. Australian Government. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from http://training.gov.au/Training/Details/91257NSW
NSW Board of Adult & Community Education. (2006). It’s a hard road to hoe but you gotta start somewhere: designing a community language project. Sydney: NSW Board of Adult & Community Education.
Ochre (2011). Aboriginal Language and Culture Nests. Aboriginal Affairs NSW. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from http://www.aboriginalaffairs.nsw.gov.au/aboriginal-language-and-culture- nests
Ochre (2011). Recognising and protecting NSW Aboriginal languages. Aboriginal Affairs NSW. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from http://www.aboriginalaffairs.nsw.gov.au/recognising-and-protecting-nsw- aboriginal-languages
Rhydwen, M. (2010). Strategies for doing the possible: supporting school Aboriginal language programs in NSW. In J. Hobson, K. Lowe, S. Poetsch & M. Walsh (Eds.), Re-awakening languages: theory and practice in the revitalisation of Australia’s Indigenous languages (pp. 253–262). Sydney, N.S.W: Sydney University Press. Retrieved from https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/6951
Williams, F. P., & Poole, F. (2010). Gumbaynggirr language lesson. ABC Coffs Coast. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/07/02/2943206.htm
