Testimonials

At the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation we are very proud of our reputation, however it is the opinions of those we help that mean the most to us.

Warumungu Elder

"I am alive again. Listen! Language is life. You have given me language. You have given me life. I am alive again".

James Bird - Chairman, Coca-Cola Australia Foundation

"The Coca-Cola Australia Foundation is proud to have been a continuous supporter of the Australian Literacy & Numeracy Foundation (ALNF) since 2001.

The Coca-Cola Australia Foundation believes ALNF's efforts in improving literacy and numeracy amongst indigenous youth to be an outstanding example of the need to work in a sustained way to improve the lives of some of Australia's most marginalised young people.

ALNF is one of our three National Partners for 2009, and we look forward to partnering in their efforts to inspire young people to fulfill their potential throughout the rest of the year ".

A participant in the inaugural CALIL course

"People make a trade off between own language and an education for their children in English. White culture and Aboriginal culture are different, how we live, what we do and how we think are different to each other. Language is important because it tells us who we are and where we belong".

Elder and Traditional Owner at Wudikapildiyerre Community

"I think the Kriol language is not a language but a broken up language. A mixture of English and other Aboriginal languages, different Tribal language groups, fitted in. As a result true Tribal language is lost. The children should be taught to read their own Tribal language first and then learn to read any other languages. This will give them an identity, a sense of ownership to their own Tribal Clan group. When ceremonial things are happening they will understand, when they get together they will understand each other and not depend on someone to translate".

Teacher, Tenant Creek High School

"Even though we are a secondary school many of our students come from communities and are in no way capable of functioning in school without massive literacy support. Finally now we have an approach that gives our disadvantaged students a chance to break the barriers. Including so many from the community [in the learning process] helps the students recognize that we are all intent on giving them what they need, and it gives value to our education process".

Participant in ALNF program, NT

"I would be pleased to see this [program] introduced all through the Territory. People in Sydney and Melbourne would be shocked to see that erratic attendance and VERY poor literacy in remote Australia. It is truly shocking".

Science Teacher, NT

"This program does work. We have been using it with the Yr 7 - Yr 9 girls' science classes for the past 10 months. These girls are all indigenous, mainly from remote locations throughout the Barkly region. [Their] literacy levels have improved beyond expectations and they are certainly more confident. They are a very mobile group (due to various cultural reasons) and can be absent for long periods. However, on returning to school they are able to fit right back in without fear of failure".

Teacher Tennant Creek High School

"Thanks for the opportunity you have provided to enable us to work TOGETHER to improve literacy skills and outcomes for students within this remote region - thousands of miles away but still not forgotten!"

School Principal, NT

"I am a Teaching Principal, the school I operate is the only facility in the community. It services up to 18 remote indigenous students. It was because this course was offered free of charge that I and my assistant were able to access this most valuable opportunity to expand our experiences, broaden our understandings and to gain new skills to instruct our students in the acquisition of Standard Australian English. The attainment of this language is the key to opening doors of opportunity, so that the children of Wogayela Community (amongst Australia's most disadvantaged) can access and live within their wider community. Thank you".

Media and Training Officer Papulu Apparr-kari Aboriginal Corporation

"The work of the ALNF in developing a WRAP program for Warumungu has been an empowering process for the traditional speakers of the Warumungu people. It has helped give them control and ownership of their language in its oral and written forms, and has produced considerable pride in themselves as learners and teachers of their language. Most importantly is has given them a process and a set of tools to take their language into schools and to the general public to enable effective and meaningful teaching of their language to occur. Language does not survive in books, it survives by being taught, spoken and passed on from one generation to the next, as it is the core and basis of culture".

Margaret Vickers - Professor, The University of Western Sydney

"I am absolutely impressed with the work of the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation. Over the past three years, ALNF has worked very closely with the University of Western Sydney to establish a tutoring program for refugee students. Our research shows that this is working very well indeed. UWS student teachers are the Tutors in this program. They support refugee students in eight Western Sydney high schools, and the initial preparation they receive from ALNF’s Eric Brace is thorough, thoughtful, and exactly right".

Maureen McCarthy - Preschool Director, NSW

"The ALNF Early Childhood Language and Literacy program has introduced staff to a new way of working with literacy with our preschool children. Our children are naturally articulate in non-verbal methods of communication, those that rely on body language etc. What staff needed were ideas, tools and knowledge about language acquisition to help us expand and enhance our programming to get our children school-ready. Staff have now learnt to 'slow down' their instruction, story telling and singing when communicating with their students. We can really hear and see the difference this makes. Now when children are introduced to a new song, for example, staff are hearing correct pronunciation back from children. The Baby Phonogram Cards are also great. We introduced them to our children and after three sessions we had a child run her own session with other children! We were impressed. Thank you".

Dorothy the Dinosaur

"Hello everybody! I'm Dorothy the Dinosaur. I like to sing and dance, especially ballet. I love my rose garden too. Roses are my favourite flower and rose petals are my favourite food. I hope you'll come to visit whenever you can! Did you know I'm learning to speak Warramiri? It's an Aboriginal language spoken by the people who live in Gawa. Gotha is a teacher in Gawa and she came to visit my house one day and taught me some Warramiri words. I hope I'll be able to talk to you again very soon".

Henry the Octopus

"Hello everybody! I'm Henry the Octopus. I live in the ocean and I conduct my under-water big band. Lots of my under-the-sea friends are in my band. Sometimes I visit my friends, The Wiggles. One day I flew in an airplane all the way to Gawa. Gawa is a beautiful place right up in the north of Australia. The children there speak in the Warramiri language and they taught me a few words. I learned that "nariptya" means octopus in Warramiri. They showed me the lagoon and the fish trap and then they took me to see their school. I hope we'll see more of each other!"