Meet the first cohort in Australia to complete their Certificate III in Aboriginal Languages for Communities and Workplaces:
Source: NITV News
Most challenging thing about the course:
We were shy in some parts, like the first time we got up and talked. It’s going to get better over time, though.
Best thing about the course:
Doing a presentation on my language, and I liked making a poster about Miriwoong country and animals and plants.
Why is completing the Certificate III in Aboriginal Languages for Communities and Workplaces important for you culture?
It’s so important; the language is important and it’s most important to teach our kids.
Source: NITV News
Name: Ingrid Ningarmara
Age: 43
Most challenging thing about the course:
Working hard to get through the units of the Certificate III
Best thing about the course:
Learning more about computers and linguistics.
Why is completing the Certificate III in Aboriginal Languages for Communities and Workplaces important for you culture?
Completing the Certificate is important because we learnt about how to save Miriwoong. We want all ages to speak language. If they don’t know their language, hey don’t know their culture.
Source: NITV News
Name: Rozanne Bilminga
Age: 37
Most challenging thing about the course: The most challenging thing was learning all the different units.
Best thing about the course: Working together as a team and learning new skills. It was great getting to know the RNLD trainers, too.
Why is completing the Certificate III in Aboriginal Languages for Communities and Workplaces important for you culture?
We want people to recognise our Miriwoong language so others can see that we still have our language. Also, to keep our language going for the next generations.
Source: NITV News
Name: Glennis Galbat-Newry
Age: 48
Most challenging thing about the course:
Answering the questions was difficult, but I found the homework and completing the language log easy.
Best thing about the course:
Working together with everyone else was the best thing. We are all very proud of ourselves.
Why is completing the Certificate III in Aboriginal Languages for Communities and Workplaces important for you culture?
We are Language Workers, so we need to do more study and workshops that involve teaching and training so that we have the skills to teach kids the Miriwoong language.
Source: NITV News
Name: Rita Boombi
Age: 56
Most challenging thing about the course:
Some things were hard to understand, but then the RNLD trainers were there to help us understand.
Best thing about the course:
It was something different for me, and will help me with my teaching.
Why is completing the Certificate III in Aboriginal Languages for Communities and Workplaces important for you culture?
It’s so important because it will help us keep the Miriwoong language and culture strong, and it will keep us strong too. We only have a few elders left so we need to be strong.
Name: Jayne Maraltadj
Source: NITV News
Age: 52
Most challenging thing about the course:
It was challenging being the only one speaking Kwini, because I am from Kalumburu, so I was on my own for a lot of it, without the gang who were studying from Kununurra.
Best thing about the course:
Making friends with the other people that did the course. Also, knowing that doing the course means I can do something about saving my language.
Why is completing the Certificate III in Aboriginal Languages for Communities and Workplaces important for you culture?:
I want to save my language and teach Kwini to the younger ones to make it strong and keep it going for the next generation. If we have no language or culture, we have nothing.
Source: NITV News
Name: Rosemary Boombi
Age: 39
Most challenging thing about the course:
There weren’t any challenges for me.
Best thing about the course:
The best thing was learning different subject matter. I can’t say which one I liked the best- I liked the whole lot! It’s made me stronger in my work teaching my language to the next generation.
Why is completing the Certificate III in Aboriginal Languages for Communities and Workplaces important for you culture?
Studying the certificate is important because maybe one day one of us will run the Language Centre- or maybe the whole lot of us!
Source: NITV News
Name: Jimmy Paddy
Age: 42
Most challenging thing about the course:
We know our language already, but it was good to learn how to write it.
Best thing about the course:
Learning everything and working to keep our language strong.
Why is completing the Certificate III in Aboriginal Languages for Communities and Workplaces important for you culture?
It’s important because if you don’t learn your language you won’t learn your culture. You’ll be lost.
Source: NITV News
Name: Dwayne Newry
Age: 31
Most challenging thing about the course:
The high level of English was the hardest thing about the course.
Best thing about the course:
We know our language, but this course has helped us know it in a linguistic way. The course has been good and I’m happy that I’ve done it.
Why is completing the Certificate III in Aboriginal Languages for Communities and Workplaces important for you culture?
The certificate is important because it will help us to keep our culture alive for our next generations.
Source: NITV News
Name: Sylvia Simon
Age: 49
*was not available for interview
Resource Network Language Diversity:
The team are currently sitting their third and final block of the Certificate, which is being delivered by the . For people who are interested to learn more about completing the language certificate click to find out more.
team of Language Workers are sitting their third and final module of their Certificate III in Aboriginal Languages for Communities and Workplaces, making them the first cohort in Australia to do so Source: NITV News
