Current ACAL Activities and Projects
Community language workshops
ACAL staff will run community-requested workshops aimed at:
- providing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with information on AIATSIS so as to enable them to make the best use of resources available, especially in the AIATSIS collections; and
- assisting and advising groups who are interested in running their own language programs.
Australian Languages Community Website
ACAL is developing a website which aims to function as a communication and collaboration tool for those interested in Australian languages.
Second National Indigenous Languages Survey (NILS2)
The second National Indigenous Languages Survey will gather information about Australian Indigenous languages, their speakers, and their speakers’ attitudes towards them on the one hand, and activities targeting language maintenance on the other. The survey will allow a better understanding of the state of Indigenous languages as well as peoples’ aspirations for them.
Identifying and Documenting Language Materials
This project aims to improve access to Indigenous language materials recorded and held by researchers by encouraging researchers to place materials in the AIATSIS collection. ACAL also offers assistance to interested researchers.
Language and wellbeing
This pilot project has been completed. The project looked at the connection between Indigenous health and wellbeing and the strength of Indigenous languages by reviewing the available research from Australia and around the world. ACAL has completed a literature review and is currently seeking funding to continue this project.
AUSTLANG
AUSTLANG, an online Australian Indigenous Languages Database that contains detailed information on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages with links to Google maps, files and websites. The database is regularly updated as more information and findings become available. The site was developed by the Research School of Humanities and the Arts at the Australian National University.
OZBIB
Originally a paper publication compiled by Lois Carrington and Geraldine Triffitt, the online linguistic bibliography of academic publications on Australian languages, OZBIB is updated regularly by ACAL. ACAL is currently modifying the database to take information about other types of resources on Australian languages.
Fostering future linguists
ACAL supports the development of emerging linguists by:
- offering a scholarship which funds a student researcher to attend the Australian Languages Workshop, an important annual weekend workshop where linguists can present their work and debate issues, and
- hosting two undergraduate linguistics students (at least one Indigenous) for 8 weeks every summer while they do research on Indigenous languages under the ANU-AIATSIS summer scholarship scheme.
In 2012, ACAL is also offering a scholarship to support students’ attendance at the Australian Linguistics Society conference.
Supporting networking
In order to increase the exchange of information between people who are involved in Indigenous language activities, we have created and manage two email lists:
- Australian-Languages: this list is for individuals and groups working to support Australian languages;
- Australian-Linguistics: this is for those interested in the linguistic study of Australian languages.
Promoting Australian languages
ACAL is involved in various activities to promote Australian languages, including ‘Language @ NAIDOC on the Peninsula’. The AIATSIS ‘NAIDOC on the Peninsula’ event, the premier NAIDOC activity in the ACT, will include a public display and presentation about Australian languages to increase public knowledge and understanding of Australian Indigenous languages.