iDIDJ Australia Didgeridoo Cultural Hub

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am writing because I am trying to find out about courses in indiginous studies and was wondering if anyone could help. I am hoping the academic mob here (Guan and Peter especially) could suggest a course that I might be able to take.

I am going to start tralling through CDUs courses and those at Monash and Sydney but if anybody can suggest one what would be good.

Here's to you all


Dan

Heh Dan,

save you a bit of trawling;

http://learnline.cdu.edu.au/yolngustudies/

I did one of these courses - and a few others online here also. Some of us were involved in the trial of it online and then I went on to do finish it. Randy did the same but then kept on going and now has a Masters (well done mate) !

I could be wrong but I think they're the only folk offering courses in yolngu matha and their teaching resources are wonderful. They focus upon Gupapuyngu, and some have criticised that as it's not the most widely spoken matha, but if you want some kind of solid grounding in yolngu matha, then this will do it. At the same time you will learn about kinship and culture in eastern AL.

Peter (Bita),

I think you're right! I have just emailed Mike Christie at the CDU and he thinks I should do the online course (perhaps I can do what Randy did ) so thats what I am going to do!

And I am quite excited to say the least - I have not been to school since 2002

HAppy days


Daniel

Hey Dan,

Perhaps we will be in the class together! I've been thinking of enrolling as well, and you've just given me the inspiration I needed to do so! Which is the online course?

Jason

Hey Jason

I'll let you know once Mike has been back in touch with me, which one I go for! What I figure is if I know the people lets do the course! http://learnline.cdu.edu.au/yolngustudi ... htm#option
Lets do it mate! Then we can get webcams! :):):):):)


Dan

Hi Dan,

I think I may need to drop Mike an email as well. I've been thinking of taking a language course for a long time- what a perfect place to start, eh?

You guys are so young and exciteable - good on you !!

You made me laugh out loud with that one and then I went trawling for "Photos of Peter looking all excitable" and found this one from Ed's website:
http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur ... imgrefurl=
http://www.rdrop.com/~mulara/issues/ao5 ... phuAMO7y2K
OR8lZmLw&um=1&tbnid=iqXUgZR9q1RiDM:&tbnh=134&tbnw=94&ei=zzUDR-TVJqC4wgHbqdWEDA&prev=/images%3Fq%
3Dpeter%2Blister%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1B3GGGL_enGB241GB241%26sa%3DN

Yep I am happy to say I am young and excitable and am looking forward to studying again.


Dan

As close to the source as possible Jason!

Lets do this thing

Thanks Bita, I've been trying to 'get started' studying Yolngu Matha for a long time- and I've decided the timing is right!

Jason

Well learning any language is great for keeping ones' brain working. I find it really difficult I must admit. I manage to quickly build a vocab but I'm slow with grammar and that's what really makes a language otherwise all you've got is a list of words that don't link together haven't you. I seem to have a brain that links images and names together so my brain is filled with all sorts of nonsense that is rarely useful - handy for my work - putting names to plants but otherwise doesn't help terribly much in conversation....

Well, learning is best when you're young, so go for it guys !! I think this is a good time as there are so many online resources and technologies - being able to work on a short film clip as with the Galitju stuff is something we couldn't have done before, for example. I have to say I loved the early stages of the online course submitting soundfiles of our pronunciation and doing little translations from sound files provided by Yolngu - it's a unique way of studying. I don't think anything will replace learning from native speakers of any language and being with them, picking up all sorts of colloqialisms and everyday nuances and the poetry of langages though, but studying like this is a great way to gain a deeper understanding of a culture and you will learn things that just are not possible when we're oceans apart. Eg, I tried to do a crash course in italian before going to Tuscany a couple of years back (to carve marble) - it was great, but I learnt so much more when I lived in a village and was forced to use what little I'd learnt 'cos so few people were confident with their english - and there was so much more I gained from working with marble sculptors in the studio - words in a dialect considered ancient and associated with ancient traditions of how one should approach the stone and work it - all flavoured by a passion for Dante's poetry......enough...or should I say basta !

Dan, if you want to see silly pics of me then I'll put a couple in the silly pics section for your delectation. That pic on Ed's page was taken about the mid 90's BTW. It was one of only a couple he had to chose from.