Language Perspectives for Indigenous Students
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students often speak more than one language. For some, Standard Australian English (SAE) may be a second, third or fourth language or dialect. Today, some Indigenous students in remote areas of Queensland still speak traditional languages. Others speak a variety of creoles and non-standard varieties of English.
All students are, however, exposed to some SAE at school and are expected to understand and function in it.
Language learners require explicit teaching to provide awareness about their first language and to assist them with sorting out their first language from SAE. This is particularly so for speakers of creoles and other language varieties that are based on SAE.
The general lack of awareness and understanding with regard to the language situation of Indigenous students across the state means that unrecognised language learners get labelled as 'lacking' in literacy for a variety of other reasons rather than in language acquisition.
Some common misconceptions include:
- Creoles are 'poor attempts at speaking English' rather than full and complex languages.
- The term 'Aboriginal English' has been used to describe most of the Aboriginal language varieties caused by language shift throughout Queensland.
- Aboriginal English is 'just a dialect of English' and many people do not understand the complexity of the situation across the state, in remote, rural and urban locations.
Indigenous bandscales were developed by EQ in the mid to late 1990s, based on the National Languages and Literacy Institute of Australia (NLLIA) rating scales (bandscales) for ESL students that are used throughout Australia. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander bandscales are used to assess students' SAE language development and to monitor students' progress.
They are currently being used to raise awareness with teachers in regard to language perspectives for Indigenous students.
- The Bandscales are available online.
http://education.qld.gov.au/students/evaluation/monitoring/bandscales/
The Indigenous Schooling Support Unit currently run Bandscales training workshops. There is limited training available throughout 2007.
For more details contact:
Camille Nielsen
Principal Education Officer
Indigenous Education
Curriculum Branch
Education Queensland
(07) 3237 0716
There is currently a project under way to develop a greater awareness and support of Indigenous students who speak a home language other than SAE.
Language Situation
- Language Stories
- Language Awareness Activities
- Language Awareness Posters
- Language and History for Crossing Cultures
- Language and Ernie Grant's Framework
Language Monitoring with Bandscales
- Student Language Samples with Teacher Comments
- Bandscales Workshop Guide
Language Teaching
- 'Illustrated'/'Documented' Walking Talking Text Units
- Language Perspective Planning Formats
- Activities for the Focused Language Teaching
^ Top of page
Other languages