The Diploma of First Nations Language Work, grounded in First Nations language practices, perspectives and knowledges, provides an offering in languages, linguistics and language teaching, with a focus on Australian First Nations language contexts. The course provides you with knowledge and practical skills that can be applied and adapted to your own language situations, including contexts of language revitalisation, maintenance, learning and teaching. The course will appeal to First Nations people who are currently involved in, or wish to be involved in language work in their communities, or people interested in community development, language planning, language revitalisation and maintenance, and language education.
The course covers key areas of:
- the structure of languages (their sounds, words, sentences and meanings)
- the importance of language to our identity
- how language use differs depending on context, culture and society
- applied skills in language revitalisation and maintenance
- practical tools in areas of community language planning, language documentation and resource development
- approaches and methods to language and culture teaching and learning.
You can choose from three specialisations: i) language revitalisation and maintenance, ii) language teaching and learning, iii) Yolngu languages.
The course is available on-campus or online, in full-time and part-time study modes (depending on the specialisation chosen). Flexible learning options are available for First Nations students, including attending face-to-face workshop blocks held on-campus in Darwin where free travel from anywhere in Australia and catered accommodation on-campus is offered during the workshops through Away-From-Base.
The course provides pathways into other CDU courses. If you are interested in First Nations language education, you can continue into the Associate Degree of First Nations Cultural and Language Education (XFNLE1). If you are interested in community language work, language planning, resource development and linguistics, you can continue into the Bachelor of Arts (Languages, Linguistics and Culture) (WARTS3).
