P-10 Curriculum Framework Consultation
VACL has just recently been engaged by the Victorian Curriculum & Assessment Authority (VCAA) to undertake a statewide consultation to communities & Stakeholders for the development of a curriculum framework for the delivery of Indigenous Languages in Schools to students from Prep to Year 10.
Peetyawan Weeyn
Peetyawan Weeyn (meaning we are kindling fire in the Keerraywoorroong language) is a guide mainly for Aboriginal communities undertaking language revival in Victoria but can be applicable for any other language revival program .
Click here to read more.
Malmsbury Prison Project
VACL has recently started working with prisoners from the Malmsbury Prison in central Victoria to assist with re-connecting with culture through their own languages.
To date, the project has received positive response and VACL is working to establish a longer term arrangement.
Boonwurrung Project
VACL has and continues to work with the Boonwurrung Foundation to restore the Boonwurrung language and also publish a set of storybooks with local Boonwurrung stories.
State Language Policy
VACL has engaged consultant, Karen Milward, to work with us in the development of a Victorian State Language Policy.
In conjunction with other key stakeholders and government departments, VACL hopes to have a draft Policy available for comment early in 2008.
Gunnai Children’s Storybooks
The Gunnai Yirruk-Tinnor Community Language Program has been creating childrens story books written in language. These can be used as a teaching aid and as a way to bring language into childrens lives in a fun educational manner. The books are currently undergoing illustration and will be published in the near future.
VACL Short Film on Languages in Victoria
VACL has put together a short film highlighting the history of Indigenous languages in Victoria, the impact of colonisation and interviewing the language workers from across the state showcasing what is happening today in language revival and what language means to individuals.
Click here to read more.
Language Education Kit for Schools
VACL is currently in the process of developing an Education Kit designed to be distributed to Victorian Schools to raise an awareness and understanding of Indigenous Languages with a focus on Victorian Languages. The kit does not aim to teach languages to children rather talk about the history of language, it's connection to culture, stories and knowledge. The kit will also include activities that are language based. A 15 minute DVD about languages will also accompany the kit giving students a perspective from the community.
Click here to read more.
Wathaurong CD Rom
Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative Ltd would like to announce the release of Learning Wathaurong, an interactive CD-ROM and accompanying booklet. This is the result of collaboration between Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative Ltd and Multilocus Interactive Pty Ltd. The CD-ROM is made up of 11 modules designed to provide a basic introduction to the language and includes a Wathaurong to English vocabulary list and interactive colourful activities. These learning materials will help to revive the Wathaurong language and teach the children and community language in a fun interactive manner.
Click here to read more.
Waywurru & Dhudhuroa Language Dictionary
The Waywurru & Dhudhuroa Community Language Program is in the process of creating a Waywurru & Dhudhuroa Language Dictionary. The Language Program have been working hard for the past two years on this exciting project. It is currently undergoing its final review with a linguist and will be published later this year. A great tool for language retrieval and revival!
Aboriginal Placenames of Victoria
In 2002, VACL commissioned the creation of a Database and Dictionary of Aboriginal Placenames of Victoria.
Click here to read more.
William Thomas Papers Transcription Project
Melbourne-based historian Toby Heydon has commenced work on a project to transcribe all of the material in the William Thomas papers, a manuscript source held on 23 reels of microfilm. The value of this manuscript to language workers, researchers and historians is extraordinary, as William Thomas was one of four original officers of the Port Phillip Aboriginal Protectorate (1839 - 50), and kept voluminous notes and papers on most aspects of his work. The project involves transcribing the entire manuscript onto a digital file form, a format that can be reproduced either as a CR-ROM or printed out as a conventional publication. The completed work will provide for much greater access to the manuscript, and will make a valuable addition to the available body of primary source material from the 1840s.
Click here to read more.
Flora and Fauna Names of Victoria
Flora and Fauna Names of Victoria Report is an initiative of VACL and the Victorian Biodiversity Strategy. The researcher Ms Sue Wesson examined material from the archives of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE), the State Library of Victoria, the Victorian Public Records Office and the Australian Archives Office. The report was published in 2001 and contains a total of 3028 words of which a significant proportion have previously been unknown to linguists. The outcomes of the project may help to assist in ascertaining the distribution of flora and fauna assets in Victoria.
Click here to read more.
Nambur Ganai CD-Rom (interactive CD-Rom)
The Woolum Bellum KODE School at Kurnai College Morwell, in partnership with the local Koorie Community has officially launched the Nambur Ganai Language Interactive CD-ROM. The Nambur Ganai CD-ROM is the brain child of two Koorie teachers from Gippsland, Doris Paton and Lynette Dent, and evolved from their success in the Yirruk-Tinnor Ganai Community Language Program in partnership with the Woolum Bellum KODE School and VACL. The CD-ROM took three years to complete and will assist in re-introducing Indigenous language back into the Ganai community by teaching the younger descendants through the many schools and preschools in the region.
Click here to read more.