Tag Archives: Indigenous languages

Module 4 Post 4: FN and Endangered Language Program

The First Nations and Endangered Languages Program at UBC began in 1996 with the goal to “build a community of people dedicated to learning, speaking, researching, and teaching their languages”. The program offers courses dealing with decolonization, preservation and revitalization of language, documentation of language, and Musqueam langauge learning. This program offers “opportunities to engage with communities and participate in active collaborations in partnership with First Nations communities”.

Module 4 Post 2: FN Language Nests

Although an older document, the “First Nations Language Nests” offers a developmental psychology perspective to justify learning (Indigenous) languages at the preschool/early childhood age. This document discusses the program goals of incorporating “nests” of Indigenous immersion programs in schools across BC. The document also answers many questions families may have toward learning an additional language. The rationales put language education in Canada into perspective. My thoughts while reading this document questioned why French remains the sole official second language, and why Indigenous languages seemingly have no presence in most public schools.

Module 4 Post 1: FN Language Curriculum

Created by FNESC, this is the First Nations Language Curriculum Building Guide. This package was developed by Marianne Ignace (professor and director of SFU’s Indigenous Languages Program and First Nations Language Centre. It is designed to “assist First Nations language teachers, members of First Nations language communities, educational staff in First Nations and public schools, and policy makers as they consider First Nations language and culture frameworks at the K – 12 level”. The ideas presented in this document do its part to decolonize language learning in BC/Canada. Educators can refer to this document at the classroom level or the ministry level for universal change.

The document offers:

  • Context/State of Indigenous languages in BC
  • Rationale for the need to preserve Indigenous languages
  • Examples and frameworks for teaching Indigenous languages

MOD #4 POST #5: College/ university Language programs in BC

Although the focus for the final project is K-12 education, I have come across this recent article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ubco-bacheclor-indigenous-language-fluency-program-1.5970694

Armstrong says the Bachelor of Nsyilxcn Language Fluency program she leads is Canada’s first ever degree program taught in an Indigenous language and is critical in keeping the endangered Nsyilxcn language alive.

Students can receive an Indigenous language fluency degree from UBCO in Nsyilxcn, an endangered language spoken among the peoples of the Okanagan Nation. Included in the program are language immersion courses and courses on revitalizing endangered languages. This program is part of a BC government initiative to create academic Indigenous language fluency programs in BC.

After reading the article, I was curious to see what university/ college-level courses are offered in British Columbia. I have come across a few programs and courses offered throughout BC:

The First Nations and Endangered Languages Program at UBC.

Language courses are offered along with language documentation and revitalization courses. By working with the Indigenous community, research into languages and creating educational materials to support Indigenous languages in BC.

https://fnel.arts.ubc.ca/

Indigenous languages program at Nicola Valley Institute of Technology.

Diploma and certificate programs both on-site and in the communities support the retention and maintenance of Indigenous languages. Advanced Diploma in Indigenous Language Teaching can be taken by diploma graduates to prepare students to teach in school settings.

https://www.nvit.ca/programs/indigenouslanguages.htm

Indigenous Language Fluency Certificate at North Island College

Kwak’wala and Nuu-chah-nulth immersion programs are available. Their goal is to support students expand their skills and support language revitalization in their communities.

https://calendar.nic.bc.ca/preview_program.php?catoid=3&poid=358

Indigenous language revitalization at UVIC.

Diploma, certificate, bachelors’ degree, and graduate-level programs available for Indigenous language revitalization. On-campus courses are offered as well as within language communities.

Students in UVic’s Indigenous language revitalization programs:

  • develop practical strategies for Indigenous languages to thrive and flourish

  • build language skills

  • conduct research

  • prepare to be teachers and interpreters

  • connect generations of Indigenous language speakers and educate future generations

  • curate oral histories

  • create new dictionaries, videos and apps

https://www.uvic.ca/education/areas-study/indigenous-language/index.php https://www.uvic.ca/about-uvic/about-the-university/indigenous-focus/indigenous-language-revitalization/index.php

MOD #4 POST #4: First Peoples’ Cultural Council Language Programs

https://fpcc.ca/programs/about-our-language-programs/

First Peoples’ Cultural Council (FPCC) has various initiatives and grants that work towards supporting Indigenous languages in BC.

FPCC is a strong advocate for Indigenous peoples’ right to live and speak our languages and practice our cultures. We provide funding, training, resources and support for language revitalization.

Programs offered include their youth empowered speakers program, language revitalization planning program, language technology program, mentor-apprentice programs, and language nest programs for young speakers. Also included is FirstVoices, a program designed to support the use of online tools for language documentation.

Grants offered by FPCC support community-led efforts in digitization, language gatherings and sharing, and language revitalization activities. Grants are combined as part of their Pathways to Language Vitality Program, which allows flexibility for communities to address needs specific to their community.

MOD #4 POST #3: No new funding for Indigenous languages in B.C.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/no-new-funding-bc-indigenous-language-1.6045504

“Indigenous language teachers across B.C. were alarmed to learn earlier this year there would be no renewal of funding from the provincial government.”

This is recent news (June 2021) has come up as we were working on our project. As we found, funding is vital in the Indigenous language revitalization and preservation efforts by Indigenous communities and advocates. Curriculum development, paying teachers to teach the language, and creating online platforms is supported by funding from the government.

“In 2018, the province invested $50 million over three years for Indigenous language revitalization for the nearly 200 First Nation communities in the province. The funding was not renewed and no new funding was provided in this year’s budget.”

One conclusion from a report Indigenous Languages Recognition, Preservation and Revitalization from the National Dialogue Session on Indigenous Languages in 2016 was that: language funding must be sustainable to be effective.

In addition to funding, another barrier mentioned in the article is the lack of support in government computers for non-English or non-French text characters found in Indigenous languages. For example, a glottal stop (ʔ) is replaced by a 7. Indigenous names need to be anglicized when inputted into government systems and computers. These are some barriers faced by Indigenous communities and advocates when attempting to support Indigenous languages in British Columbia.

MOD #4 POST #2: Language Education Planning

http://www.fnsa.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/61415-FNESC-Language-Education-Planning-WB-MARCH16-F-WEB-1.pdf

This document by the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) and First Nations School Association (FNSA) is a user-friendly guide created for Indigenous communities and advocates hoping to create and plan Indigenous language programs. This guide is meant for planning language programs at any level and meant to work alongside other resources available online. Whether the user is planning a language nests, school language programs, immersion programs for kids, or adult language programs, all of these can be supported by this workbook.

The workbook includes fillable activities with guiding questions to help the user develop their plan/idea. Activities include:

1) Forming your core group

2) Encouraging community involvement

3) Surveying language education in your and neighbouring communities

4) Environmental scan of language resources in your and neighbouring communities

5) Developing a vision and a plan for language education in your community

6) Evaluating what you did

The workbook then guides the user into thinking about engaging parents and families, teacher training and education required, curriculum building, and funding. This step-by-step guide is helpful for those hoping to revive language through education.

MOD #4 POST #1: First Nations Education Foundation (FNEF)

https://www.fnef.ca/

First Nations Education Foundation (FNEF) is an organization collaborating with First Nation Governments in supporting their language revitalization efforts. By working with the community, they hope to use interactive technology and educational practices to support at-risk languages. Currently, they are working on a pilot program with the Yuułu?ił?ath Government (Ucluelet First Nation) in Ucluelet, BC. Their process of preserving existing knowledge includes professionally recording elders, creating living dictionaries, listening to community feedback, developing curriculum, using digital tools (such as quizzes and social forums).

“Not an endowment fund, FNEF is a foundation in the sense that it provides nations with an infrastructure and methodology through which they can create and sustain their own language revitalization efforts independently and autonomously. The result is an organic process where language resources are streamlined into a comprehensive archive and made accessible to the whole community through an open-ended digital platform. A 21st century approach makes contemporary learning strategies feasible for small communities and offers real hope for Indigenous language revitalization.”

MOD #3 POST #5: Indigenous Languages of British Columbia Curriculum

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/teach/resources-for-teachers/curriculum/languages-template/indigenous-languages

This page of the BC Ministry of Education website provides a list of Indigenous languages where the curriculum has been developed and are in use in school districts throughout British Columbia. However, the website does not link to the curriculum content directly, contact information for each district and their program is listed.

In 2016, the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) conducted a review of the development and implementation of Indigenous languages programs and curriculum. Through site visits, surveys, interviews, and literature reviews, the report highlights best practices. The report can be read here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/ways-to-learn/aboriginal-education/aboriginal-languages-irp-review.pdf. In the report, they have provided recommendations on multiple levels, in leadership, curriculum design, funding, and teacher preparation.