We owe the initiative of this joint publication to John Hobson, lecturer and coordinator of student support services at the Koori Centre, University of Sydney.

Authors in this volume rely on the fact that indigenous languages of Australia have been undergoing a renaissance over recent decades. Many languages that had long ceased to be heard in public and consequently deemed ‘dead’ or ‘extinct’, have begun to emerge.

Geographically and linguistically isolated, revitalisers of Indigenous Australian languages have often struggled to find guidance for their circumstances, unaware of the others walking a similar path.

In this context Re-awakening languages seeks to provide the first comprehensive snapshot of the actions and aspirations of Indigenous people and their supporters for the revitalisation of Australian languages in the twenty-first century. The contributions to this volume describe the satisfactions and tensions of this ongoing struggle. They also draw attention to the need for effective planning and strong advocacy at the highest political and administrative levels, if language revitalisation in Australia is to be successful and people’s efforts are to have longevity.

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« Re-awakening languages: theory and practice in the revitalisation of Australia’s Indigenous languages »

Edité par John Hobson, Kevin Lowe, Susan Poetsch and Michael Walsh

Sydney University Press

ISBN: 9781920899554