Over the next two years, First Languages Australia will be working with language centres and education partners on the Commonwealth funded project to support the development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language teachers and the teaching of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.

With the arrival of COVID-19 in Australia, First Languages Australia and the Pertame Language Project invited people to participate in a video conference to connect, hear and learn from each other about creative ways to continue language teaching through digital platforms.

As part of our ongoing work in the area of training and career development for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people working in language programs, we are interested in creating a registry of people currently engaged in this work.

First Languages Australia is working with Michelle Gabauer of Effective HR to help establish correct pay rates, awards and role descriptions for language centre staff.

Arts Law and First Languages Australia have joined forces to give language centres and programs access to Arts Law's Artists in The Black service free of charge during 2020–21.

We were pleased to partner with SBS in the fourth SBS National Languages Competition, which aims to inspire all Australians to embrace language learning and retention.

Michael Jarrett, Gumbaynggirr teacher and Chairperson of Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Cooperative, and Carolyn Barker, of First Languages Australia, gave the opening keynote address "What is involved?

First Languages Australia Committee Member and Central Queensland language worker, Melinda Holden, joined interpreter and early childhood teacher Josie Lardy, linguist Ilana Mushin, and linguist Felicity Meakins and musician Eleanor Dixon from the Mudburra Language Project, at the Australian Society of Linguistics Conference for a panel conversation about best practice in the ways academic linguists and community-based language workers and linguists are working together.

Have you been following our Young Champions profiles commissioned by ABC Life? Here are the latest:

The team at the NSW Library have produced an exceptional exhibition celebrating the resilience of Aboriginal languages and language workers across NSW.

We are very pleased to have been a partner in the work that has seen the ABC launch its first ELEVATE Reconciliation Action Plan.

Our committee and staff used the opportunity of having many language program teams together in Darwin for PULiiMA, to host a meeting for members of the national network.

Since June we have been working with DFAT to support language advocates and artists to visit a range of Australian consulates around the world. Here are some of the stories from this shared project.

This year’s the competition entries were very strong with the judges acknowledging all contributors while giving the awards to the following six exceptional entries.

First Languages Australia’s major celebration in the International Year of Indigenous Languages has been the launch of Jarrak: Our Languages Journey, a collection of materials that tell the story of advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages over the past fifty years.

To celebrate the International Year of Indigenous Languages First Languages Australia has been invited to host a selection of speakers, local language lessons and panel discussions at the Woodford Folk Festival.

Call out for Expressions of Interest!

For NAIDOC again this year our focus was working with the media to share inspirational language stories.

Bana Guyurru – The Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Forum 2019 was a dynamic event, held in Cairns in May, and enjoyed by over 150 language workers, teachers and connected service providers.

We are pleased to announce the publication of Nintiringanyi: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teaching and Employment Strategy.