Here is a unique opportunity for people concerned with language loss, maintenance, and recovery amongst Canada's aboriginal peoples. The award-winning and accessible Certificate in Aboriginal Language Revitalization is not an aboriginal language course, but a method of helping to preserve and revitalize Canada's aboriginal languages. It is designed to help you develop both knowledge and practical strategies for language revitalization activities across British Columbia and beyond.
Offered by the University of Victoria's Department of Linguistics and the Division of Continuing Studies in partnership with the En'owkin Centre, it makes use of Summer Institute core coursework combined with flexible elective offerings.
Program participants include individuals working with First Nations and other indigenous communities in the revitalization and teaching of Aboriginal languages, or with agencies involved in the development and delivery of language and cultural revitalization policies and programs. Participants come from across British Columbia and as far away as Nunavut, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories, and learn from one another as well as from experienced instructors and resource people.
We acknowledge with thanks the support of the First People's Heritage, Language and Culture Council and the Aboriginal Special Projects Fund of the British Columbia Ministry of Advanced Education for their support in the development of the certificate program in Aboriginal Language Revitalization.
This program is designed to strengthen your understanding of the complex context and characteristics of language loss, maintenance, and recovery and develop knowledge and strategies for language revitalization within communities. This program is designed to honour traditional knowledge and practices, to recognize and accommodate the realities and needs of diverse communities, and to provide a foundation for both language revitalization activities and for further study in education, linguistics, or other related areas.
You participate in the following coursework to complete your Certificate:
6 Core Courses (9.0 units) that build your foundation of knowledge and skills. These courses introduce you to key concepts, issues, and best practices in language revitalization and develop your ability to create meaningful, appropriate and practical language preservation, revitalization, and teaching programs. They use a mix of presentations, discussion groups, case studies, guest speakers, and practical assignments. Courses and instructors encourage you to consider language revitalization in the context of your own experience and needs. Core courses are offered in an Institute format using week-long immersion sessions at the En'owkin Centre in Penticton, BC and at the University of Victoria each spring or summer. We recommend that you complete one (or two) of the three-week Institutes each summer (each institute includes 3 courses) so that you can complete the program in a shorter time-frame (1-2 years).
3 Elective Courses (4.5 units) that you select based on personal interest and needs. These courses are drawn from elective offerings at UVic and the En'owkin Centre, or offered in community settings. If you are not a fluent speaker in an Indigenous language, at least 1.5 units of elective course work must comprise language course work to build your language learning. Elective courses include specialized week-long courses offered through the program, language courses that may be offered in your community or at a local college or university (that can be transferred or can be used to challenge your language requirement with the permission of the program's academic advisors, or a practicum that enables you to do apply your learning in language revitalization in your community.
While some participants focus on completing the Certificate program on its own, others combine their learning in language revitalization with studies in related areas. The program can be taken concurrently with other programs or laddered into further studies in related areas, such as education, linguistics, cultural and heritage resource management.
Call 250-721-8206
