South West Aboriginal Language Program

Address: S.W.A.L.P.
C/- VACL
295 King St
Melbourne Vic 3000
Telephone:03 9600 3811
Fax: 03 9600 4277
Email: jwright@vaclang.org.au
Coordinator/Language Worker: Joel Wright

 

Program Background

Language reclamation and regeneration in the south west has been mainly driven by Elder Mr Ivan Couzens over the past 15 years or so. He has worked on the VACL committee and a local language committee, and with VACL support, in 1996, published our Keerray Woorroong and related dialects dictionary. Since then language development has been sporadic and implemented voluntarily by a few community members, in particular within the Warrnambool and Framlingham communities
A growing awareness and need for community language programs within other communities in the region, the recognition of the need to share resources and the need for direction and planning has seen the recent establishment of South West Aboriginal Languages Committee.

This is a regional committee representing the following communities:
Portland, Heywood, Hamilton, Warrnambool,

Framlingham, Otways/Colac/Camperdown.

Languages responsible for:

Gadubanud

Gulidjan

Djargurd Wurrong

Keerray Woorroong

Woolwoowurrong

Koorn Kopan Noot

Kee Wurrong

Peek Wurrong

Dharwurd Wurrong.

This committee has been established to address those collective needs and the proposal following is what has been prioritized for the following 2years.

Objective(s)

The SWALC will act as a regional resource in the development of CLPs in those communities within our committee area of responsibility.

-To act as a management group and provide resourcing, advice and development o four languages to our communities;
-To develop policies and cultural protocols for the development and use of our languages;
-To secure funding for programs;
-To manage/co-ordinate language programs for our communities;
-To provide training for community language workers;
-To support Aboriginal Educators in the delivery of Language in the schools;
-To monitor Aboriginal Language Programs in schools/kindergrtens
-To become an incorporated organization
-To inform and promote the SWALC to our communities and the broader community
-Establish relationships/partnerships with local, regional and state government agencies
-Establish relationships/partnerships with local regional and state Aboriginal organisatons