MEDIA RELEASE: New National approach to preserve Indigenous Languages

10 August 2009

Minister for the Arts, Peter Garrett and Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin announced the new approach on the International Day of the World's Indigenous People. The new National Indigenous Languages Policy is aimed at keeping Indigenous languages alive and supporting Indigenous Australians to connect with their language, culture and country.

It will focus on five key areas:

bringing national attention to Indigenous languages;
encouraging the use of critically endangered languages to maintain and extend their everyday use as much as possible;
making sure that in areas where Indigenous languages are being spoken fully and passed on, government recognises these languages when it interacts with Indigenous communities;
helping restore the use of rarely spoken or unspoken Indigenous languages to the extent that the current language environment allows; and
supporting the teaching and learning of Indigenous languages in Australian schools.

For more information or to listen and read new Policy click link below:

The policy is available at www.arts.gov.au/indigenous/languages_policy

Or for views and opinions on this matter follow link: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/10/2650659.htm

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