How much community support is there for Indigenous languages to be taught in schools?
5. What are some of the barriers towards developing an Indigenous language curriculum for Queensland? 6. How is the Queensland government developing policy to support Indigenous languages? 7. References ‘Languages are precious storehouses of history, experience and culture; a crucial link between the past and the future’ – Jeanie Bell, Aboriginal Linguist Why should students learn Indigenous languages at school? The National Policy on Language (Lo Bianco, 1987) cites research that shows intellectual, linguistic and cognitive benefits of learning more than one language. Lo Bianco state that, ‘children who are proficient in two languages have certain advantages over monolingual children’. He also highlights two main issues that relate particularly to the teaching of Indigenous languages: Enrichment: representing intellectual and cultural enrichment, for individuals and for the wider society; Equality: representing enhanced social and educational participation and opportunity for immigran
