New Teaching Method Could Help Aboriginal Languages Survive and Flourish

A Curtin University-led team has introduced a new teaching framework that may help Aboriginal languages find a stronger foothold in early childhood classrooms. Designed to support cultural continuity, the approach targets one of the most urgent educational challenges: how to keep Indigenous languages actively transmitted rather than treated as distant heritage.

The study, conducted over a year with an Aboriginal playgroup, focused on preschoolers and developed a model called “translingual yarning pedagogy” (TYP). Instead of presenting languages in separate, strictly controlled tracks, TYP treats communication as a dynamic practice shaped by community, context, and meaning.

At the core of the method is yarning—an Indigenous storytelling and shared-learning tradition. TYP pairs yarning with translanguaging, a concept in language learning that encourages learners to draw on their full linguistic repertoire. That repertoire can include English, Aboriginal languages, and non-verbal resources such as gestures, song, and play.

In practice, children participated in yarning circles, storytelling, and musical activities using Noongar language alongside culturally grounded themes. Researchers observed children moving fluidly between language resources while staying engaged with Aboriginal knowledge rather than switching only to “approved” forms.

The findings suggest that this flexible, culturally embedded structure increases participation and confidence. Importantly, the classroom becomes a meaning-making space, where language serves identity and everyday experience—not just correctness.

Lead author Professor Sender Dovchin emphasized that the results point toward stepping away from rigid, English-dominant instruction. By allowing children to combine English, Noongar, and embodied communication, the approach supports authentic interaction and deeper engagement.

The study also raises a broader question about how schools frame language learning. Aboriginal languages are frequently absent from mainstream Languages Other Than English programs, which often prioritize global languages over local Indigenous language revitalisation.

Co-author Tamara Tucker, a Noongar educator and founder of Yalkarang Consulting, argued that language learning becomes durable when it is felt through story, movement, and connection to Country. In her view, the method builds pride and strengthens identity—key ingredients for keeping languages strong across generations.