Comments on: Are Aboriginal languages really useless in the workplace?

By: Nazzia

Nazzia — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 11:35:24 +0000

I completely agree with the sentiment of wanting to promote and preserve regional languages, but having worked in a corporate setting in Australia as well as India, I have noticed that the number of speakers of a language influences whether those languages can be practical in the workplace. In India, there are several offices where people can still get by without English, but the more global the company is the rarer the use of English becomes. In a country like Australia, this becomes even more true.

By: Sasha Sunshine

Sasha Sunshine — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 12:42:24 +0000

I agree that English has become the dominant language in not only education but for professional areas as well. Due to this, the importance of indigenous languages and cultures are facing the threat of becoming extinct. It isn’t about picking one over the other, both can exist at the same time. Indigenous people have lost a lot and would definitely appreciate being able to keep their language and culture intact.

By: Thi Thanh Huyen Do

Thi Thanh Huyen Do — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 11:00:10 +0000

A better understanding of Indigenous languages and culture was suggested as a way to improve the communications between non Indigenous and Indigenous Australians who are working in the area of Indigenous affairs. The communities who speak their Indigenous language as their first language need to expect other Australians to learn to appreciate and respect Aboriginal languages and aspects of history and culture within their school education and in general Australian life. Particularly those non Indigenous people living and working within these remote communities and high status public and political figures in Australian society.

By: Saichon

Saichon — Sun, 03 Nov 2019 12:23:32 +0000

It is not about one particular culture is better than one another culture, but it is safe to say that language is a sign of power and every language should not be left behind. Since English is dominant language in Australia, it is obvious that indigenous people and aboriginal languages are slowly swallowed. It raises me some aspects about Thai dialects and languages of minority groups in Thailand also need to be protected. As linguistic field is pretty new in my home country, wisdom and knowledge of minority groups are in danger. It brings some aspects that when people have power, they should not leave other people behind, especially, “people”, who are the original of culture and value, who are the root of who they are, should be protected.

By: Rajendra Prasad Kandel

Rajendra Prasad Kandel — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 04:18:39 +0000

Language is definitely more than the medium of communication; its a significant cultural heritage as well. Aboriginal people have their own distinct
language, culture, costume, social structure, rites, and rituals. Each of them is appreciative and complementary to each other for creating the Aboriginal community’s own respective socio-cultural identity. They can be better expressed in their mother tongue; their language better represents ” the complexity, context and the wave’ of their community because Aboriginal language, I think, has emerged and developed from Aboriginal people’s ages-long association with particular land, culture and human relationship. That’s why their language better recognizes ‘the depth and the diversity’ of their culture.
Even in our country Nepal, there are 59 officially recognized indigenous communities; among them, Gurung, Magar, Newar, Tharu, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Chepang are the major ones. They speak their own respective language within their communities so that they can understand their social structure, culture, their origins of land, have smooth communication and connection with their community members. Simultaneously, most of them speak the Nepali language as well because it is, one the one hand, medium of instruction in educational institutions and on the other hand its a lingua-franca and official language that connects all Nepali people from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Also, we learn the English language for efficient communication with the people outside the country.
With this experience, I can say that the use of aboriginal languages in the local context like in the local market, administrative offices, legal bodies, and in the basic level of education, enhances the self-confidence of aboriginal people. It even facilitates the transition from monolingualism to bio/multilingualism because , practically, to celebrate broad context, aboriginal people should acquire the language of wider communication.

By: Irene Nguyen

Irene Nguyen — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 13:12:03 +0000

This article significantly addresses a big concern about the balance between the employment-oriented and culture-retained language curriculum development. As this whole world has been increasingly Westernizing, English has ultimately played its dominant role within mostly the aspects of life, especially the occupation. However, it should be thoroughly considered when English ( or a certain foreign language) is introduced in one’s education program to see whether that language indeed meets the learners’ needs and expectations. Also, the booming of English learning has been likely to invade and throw a threat to other original language counterparts. This comes to be an alarm on the matter of conserving one’s community identity as language partly contributes to a particular culture and ethnicity.

By: Pramanandra Joshi

Pramanandra Joshi — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 01:11:00 +0000

This article raises the crux of the language discourse of these days. In the present scenario English became dominant language all over the world, since it is an international language. In this article writer shows the plight of aboriginal language in the Australia. Aboriginal languages are disappearing in the shadow of English language. In this context aboriginal languages are limited only in home, there is no space in work place for aboriginal language. For example in Nepal there are many aboriginal languages such as Maithili, Tharu, Gurung, Bhojpuri, Doteli and other which do not have space in workplace but only limited in home. To preserve aboriginal language we have to take action. Ignoring English is also impossible in this age, so we have to preserve aboriginal language by accepting the use of English language.

By: Chi Tam Nguyen

Chi Tam Nguyen — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 05:21:47 +0000

This article gave a significant concern about the co-existence of languages in the context of Vietnamese schools. What would result if some schools in remoted areas where people speak other languages rather than Vietnamese? There could be such great issues for any teacher of ESL/EFL who want to teach English to those students without any understanding about their languages. Is there any similarities or differences between the students’ language and the English counterpart which could be a barrier for the teachers? I point I want to make here is that the teachers should make intensive investigations regarding the languages spoken by their students before making any decision to work in this workplace.

By: Sue

Sue — Sat, 28 Sep 2019 02:55:29 +0000

It is a challenge for aboriginal languages to survive in English-dominant Australia. It is the similar case with many countries around the world, where people learn and apply the country’s dominant language in school and workplace.It is efficient and effective to use same language(dominant language(s) in a country) to deal with work and contribute to economic development. As a result, it decreases the presence of minority languages in use, and even worse, these language could be less and less active and die out eventually. Languages are cultural heritage of nations, once disappear, they never come back. protecting these minority languages and maintaining them active is not only a challenge for linguists and also for the policy-makers. I think in some sense, governments play a more significant role in promoting minority languages as a means to contribute to the local economy and culture. Therefore, these languages could be preserved and active and passed down to the next generations.

By: Summer Dang

Summer Dang — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 23:40:03 +0000

The blog post has raised people’s awareness of the relevance of Aboriginal language in particular and vernaculars in general to society activities and community development. It is of utmost importance that the purpose of schooling for Indigenous children should be focused to facilitate them with relevant knowledge and training essential in future practical working place, rather than unsuitable textbook content and irrelevant exam questions to their social and cultural experience. This example, in my opinion, would also encourages curriculum composers in other countries where there also is a compilation of multiple ethnic minorities living together, such as Vietnam, to adjust their national educational program in order to benefit citizens in both worlds.

By: Alisa

Alisa — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 14:41:03 +0000

I don’t know much about the history of Australia. It seems that Australia has a sad history on indigenous issues and their culture has been eliminated. While minority education (indigenous education) respects their history and culture, it is more important to integrate them into a wider society. If a squatting requirement requires the use of indigenous teachers to teach Aboriginal students, the source of the teacher is too scarce. I don’t think this will achieve the goal of education.

By: yofa

yofa — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 18:22:10 +0000

I deeply am saddened by this minority language phenomenon experienced by the Aboriginal community or any other minority groups out there -including my own country- however, I will definitely be, at the same time, hypocritical if I say that I object the idea of English as a working-world language. English has been protracted in that superior position for a very long time and it is little we can help. Thus, if asked what we can do, I think having a raised awareness of the issue already serves great impact and thanks to Brendan to be that awareness-raising agent and make me feel that I need to start taking actions to save my own vernacular.

By: Xin Zhang

Xin Zhang — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 06:35:08 +0000

Thanks for Brendan for sharing his ideas. The problem of mainstream language and minority language also exits in China. China is a country which has many different minorities. Mandarin is regarded as the first language and children must learn it in their very young age. It means that ethnic people must use mandarin and their own local language. As result, ethnic people speak mandarin at school or work place for communicating instead of minority language. The local language is only used at home, which may cause consequence of destroying the diversity of Chinese language. Because mandarin can be learned by everyone, but local language is learned only by local people. In addition, advanced conditions in cities attract many people to stay in cities, the local language is used less than before. When it comes to the occupation in the local work place, there are fewer people who have a deep understanding about the local language and culture. After reading this article, i am worried about the language usage in our country. We cannot lose the language diversity, they represent different cultures. Different language is treasure in each country.

By: Sofia

Sofia — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 08:32:12 +0000

This post reminds of a sad but true story of aboriginal languages. For example, in Vietnam, as the country is developing, aboriginal people or the minority need to study the mainstream language to merge into the majority, with a hope to find a job and make a living in big cities. Thanks to the mainstream language that they can find a job, access to better education and health, make a living in big cities. However, the aboriginal language will soon be at the edge of extinction if no one speaks it anymore. Even though the aboriginal language is worthy to reserve but it is hard to do so because it does not help the speakers to get the basic needs: money as the mainstream does.

By: Loulou

Loulou — Mon, 02 Sep 2019 03:22:40 +0000

In reply to Dee.

It can’t be denied that language is one of the main factors that shapes the culture value of a community. And the case of Aboriginal people not only take place in Australia but in my home country – Vietnam as well. In Vietnam, the mainstream language is “kinh” language, while other venaculars only exist in ethnic minorities and disappearing. It can be seen that the individuals’ role in this case is to preserve such languages to protect their culture values. And I believes in some cases Vietnamese people are doing the right things to maintain the culture values which are reflecting via the bilingual education in some highland areas, the introduction of new policies which encourage ethnic people to learn mainstream languages so they can integrate with “kinh” people in several aspects of the society like economic, technology and so on.

By: Ana

Ana — Sun, 01 Sep 2019 23:55:41 +0000

This is piece is very inspirational; it saddens me to learn the way that minority groups such as aboriginal communities are treated in post-colonial Australia. I did not have much knowledge about how literacy policies are implemented in remote aboriginal communities but the author touches on some key points that are hard to argue against. It seems that Western societies have difficulties appreciating the value of diverse languages, and the idea that English in the only valuable language is a deep flawed a hegemonic concept. It makes much more sense that in remote aboriginal communities’ individuals learn their own language in a school setting. This way people can be empowered to strengthen their communities and create work opportunities using their own language, as opposed to impose English and the mainstream Australian way of living.