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Victorian Aboriginal Languages

Resources

Curriculum area resources support teachers to implement the curriculum. Resources are organised by 'Planning resources', 'Teaching resources' and 'Assessment resources'.

Overview

Victorian Aboriginal Languages (VAL) are among the original languages of Australia and each language is unique to the Country/Place on which it arose. Learning a local Aboriginal language:

  • provides the social and cognitive benefits of learning any language
  • develops students’ understanding of historical, current and ongoing connection to Country/Place and culture
  • facilitates student engagement with Aboriginal ways of knowing, doing and being.

Learning a Victorian Aboriginal language in a school should always be undertaken with the approval of the appropriate Traditional Owners. Schools are advised to make connections and consult with local Koorie community members and follow local protocols before implementing a VAL program.

We respectfully caution Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples that these webpages contain the images, voices and names of people who have passed away, and words and descriptions that may be culturally sensitive. Watch Aboriginal community leaders talking about Aboriginal languages in schools.

All Victorian Aboriginal languages are revival languages which are in various stages of revitalisation. The amount of vocabulary and variety of language structures available for teaching and learning will be influenced by the current progress of language revival for that language, and local Aboriginal community decisions as to how much language is to be shared with the wider community.

Local Aboriginal communities will retain cultural and intellectual property rights when they contribute content to a school’s local Aboriginal language program. Material contributed by Aboriginal community members to Aboriginal language programs for schools should be provided through consultation and with consent, for the purposes of supporting schools.  Where schools, teachers or consultants involved in the program wish to use the material for any other purpose, further consents will be required from the relevant local Aboriginal community. 

The VAL curriculum provides opportunities for students to develop knowledge, understanding and skills in Victorian Aboriginal languages that are being reclaimed by their owners, and to become more richly connected to the First Peoples and to Country.

The Victorian Aboriginal Languages curriculum can be viewed on the Victorian Curriculum F–10 website.

To learn about key components of the Victorian Aboriginal Languages curriculum, view the presentation Introducing the Victorian Aboriginal Languages F–10.

Contact

Kylie Witt
Manager - Languages Unit
tel: + 61 3 9059 5120
email: Kylie.Witt@education.vic.gov.au 

Professional associations

Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Inc. (VAEAI) 
VAEAI is a state-wide Koorie community organisation that represents the Koorie community in relation to education policy development and strategic programming at the local, state and national levels. VAEAI supports the provision of education and training that reinforces the Koorie community’s cultural identity and increases awareness in the wider community of Koorie culture and aspirations in education and training.

Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages (VACL) 
VACL is the peak body for Aboriginal languages revitalisation in the state of Victoria, leaders in the field of language revitalisation, resources development, research, and the archival and development of Aboriginal Language Library and Aboriginal languages digital information.

Victorian Aboriginal Language Teachers Association (VALTA)
Professional association for teachers of Victorian Aboriginal languages, auspiced by VAEAI.

Acknowledgements

Some material for this site was originally developed in the Monash University ARC Linkage Project, ‘Reclamation of Victorian Indigenous Languages’, conducted in 2010 by Dr Heather Bowe (Monash University, School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics) and Associate Professor Kathy Lynch (University of the Sunshine Coast, ICT Research and Development) in collaboration with the following Linkage Partners: the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, the Victorian School of Languages, the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, the Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages, the Federation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages, the Worawa Independent Aboriginal College, the Mirrimbeena Aboriginal Education Group Inc, Cyberdreaming.

The artwork used in the website banner was provided by Keerray Wooroong Gunditjmara Senior Knowledge Holder, Dr Vicki Couzens.