We mourn the loss of NJ Nangala and Colin Thiele, two people whose work has helped the maintenance of Indigenous languages.
FollowSmoke, mirrors, language and Indigenous education
Kirsten Storry’s paper on the problems with Aboriginal education received a write-up was discussed by her in an opinion-piece in the Australian 31 August 2006. She is described as a ‘policy analyst’ for the Centre for Independent Studies. For her, problems with “literacy levels” equals problems with literacy in English – Indigenous languages are not on her radar. Hence the complexity of teaching second language students to read and write in a second language does not feature in her account. Remember when outsourcing was supposed to save government departments heaps of money, and also to improve efficiency of IT systems? Well, that’s Storry’s solution to Aboriginal education..
Sinhalese/Tamil or English? Guest blogger: Thushara Gamage
Following on the discussion of Sri Lankan Portuguese in the Speaking to God and Mammon post, Thushara Gamage, Linguistics department alumna, gives her view on what’s happening to the linguistic ecology of Sri Lanka, and why.
“The recorder did it!”
I’m sure we’ve all done it from time to time: somehow, despite carefully trying to do something else altogether, we delete a critical and unique recording on our flash recorder… never to be heard again.
But all is not lost, in fact its often really quite simple to get it back… but only if you’ve taken the necessary precautions.
Speaking to God and Mammon
Two seminars were given last week at Sydney University on languages in contact – Helen Fulton (University of Wales, Swansea) on “Language on the Borders : Contacts between Welsh and English in the Marches of Wales after 1066”, and Ian Smith‘s (currently visiting the Linguistics Department for a year) Linguistics department seminar “Wesleyan missionaries and the conversion of Sri Lanka Portuguese”, on the new languages in Sri Lanka that developed from contact with Portuguese, Dutch and then English. In both cases aspirations for heavenly and worldly advancement provided motivations for language shift and language maintenance, sometimes in competition and sometimes in collaboration.
“Digital” Video
Researchers are increasingly using video in their fieldwork. Starting with cheap analogue formats and now digital formats, it is easy and affordable to begin video-taping everything… In the same way that we can now record audio for everything.
…Well, actually I’m not quite convinced yet.
Sustainable data from digital fieldwork: “from creation to archive and back”
Many academic disciplines depend on analysis of primary data captured during fieldwork. Increasingly, researchers today are using digital methods for the whole life cycle of their primary data, from capture to organisation, submission to a repository or archive, and later access and dissemination in publications, teaching resources and conference presentations. This conference and workshop will showcase a number of projects that have been developing innovative and sustainable ways of managing such data.
Solar Power in the Field (Part 2)
OK, we’ve got together all the equipment that we want to use. Now we need to estimate the power consumption of these devices so that we purchase the right size of solar panel and battery. This also applies to portable generators too, which can be a good source of power…if its an option.
Gimme that old-time jukurrpa!
Two major recent events in the Northern Territory were Gurindji Freedom Day (discussed on the 7.30 report (21/8/06) (tx T & D for the link!)), and the Garma Festival. The song from the Lajamanu band that was played at Garma ‘Gimme that old-time jukurrpa!’ [jukurrpa = dreaming, law in Warlpiri] appeals to me for its lighthearted bringing together of present and past, English and Warlpiri, Christianity and Jukurrpa.
2006 ASRA conference this week “Listening”
Those of you in Canberra this week might be interested in the Australasian Sound Recordings Association annual conference “Listening” to be held 23-24 August at the National Film and Sound Archive. Among the several presentations of likely interest to readers of this blog will be the session on “Listening, Language and Culture” on 23 August, … Read more