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Radio National: Learning Dharug, Aboriginal language of Sydney

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Radio National: Learning Dharug, Aboriginal language of Sydney

SUBJECTS:  English, Languages

YEARS:  7–8


Imagine a time when the Aboriginal language Dharug was the official language spoken in the Sydney area.

During this audio clip, reflect on how the language was considered almost 'lost', but (and) discover how Richard Green and others are piecing the Dharug language back together.

Find out about how it is being taught at Chifley College in western Sydney.

What impact is the revival of this aboriginal language having on students and the wider community?

If you like this clip, visit the Holding Our Tongues website for more information.


Things to think about

  1. 1.The Dharug language is based on an oral tradition, so was never written down by its speakers. Early colonists attempted to write Dharug using the English alphabet and French phonetics. Reflect on some of the challenges that rebuilding a language from these early records would present.
  2. 2.What is the sole source of information available about the original Dharug language? What are the limitations of reviving an oral language from a written source? Listen to the students' views about learning the Dharug language at school. What do they enjoy? Mr Green talks about it being a 'healing thing'. What do you think he means?
  3. 3.What is a 'Welcome to Country'? Why might Australians' recognition of language and country be considered important? How could you go about introducing a Welcome to Country ceremony to your school, if it doesn't already have one? What are some other ways you could acknowledge the local language/s of your area?
  4. 4.In the clip a student discovers that the name of the street he lives in, Mulgo Street, is Dharug for black swan. Research the names of streets and suburbs and geographical features, such as hills or rivers, in your area. How many of these are from the local Indigenous language or languages of your area? List all the names you find and their meanings. How many new Indigenous words have you learnt?



Date of broadcast: 8 Mar 2009


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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