GALAC PRODUCES LANGUAGE TOOLS FOR AGED CARE STAFF

Sue Hanson, senior Linguist and Manager at Goldfields Aboriginal Language Centre working with a member of the community. Image supplied by Sue Hanson.

The Goldfields Aboriginal Language Centre in Kalgoorlie Boulder has created a phrase list in the Ngaanyatjarra language for aged care sector workers to better communicate with their clients.  

Goldfields Aboriginal Language Centre senior Linguist and Manager Sue Hanson said the phrases are important because senior clients may not understand much English. 

 ‘‘Sometimes there are only one or two Ngaanyatjarra people in an aged care centre, and the poor folk are trying to understand what’s going on for them, without any understanding of the standard Australian English that’s being spoken to them,’’ she said.

‘‘So this is what this little project is, it’s just an immediate response to making sure there’s phrasing available.’’
The phrases are available for Free on the Goldfields Aboriginal Language Centre’s website or for $15 on a USB drive.