SBS Learn’s Dharug Ngurra resource empowers classrooms to meaningfully celebrate NSW Aboriginal Languages Week

SBS Learn is encouraging teachers to celebrate this year’s NSW Aboriginal Languages Week by exploring Dharug Ngurra. This ready-to-download classroom resource was developed in collaboration with Aboriginal-owned education organisation Wingaru to help meaningfully embed knowledge about First Nations cultures in schools and support the preservation and revitalisation of Aboriginal languages.

Created for primary school classrooms, the resource introduces educators and students to the rich history, language and cultural traditions of the Dharug people, the Traditional Custodians of the area known today as Greater Sydney. Dharug is one of many Aboriginal languages spoken on the East Coast of NSW, and through this resource, students can learn about Dharug dhalang (language) sounds and words while deepening their understanding of how language plays a crucial role in preserving cultural identity. ‘Ngurra’ means Country or place in Dharug.

Produced in consultation with Dharug language speakers, Dharug Ngurra is designed to support teachers to integrate Aboriginal language and culture into everyday learning. The beautifully illustrated resource aligns with both the NSW and Australian curriculums and includes teacher notes, a pronunciation guide, worksheets and tasks connecting students to Country, culture and language, and guidance and tools for Acknowledging Country.

SBS Director, First Nations, Tanya Denning-Orman, said: “At SBS, we recognise that language is at the heart of culture and identity. Our partnership with Wingaru to create Dharug Ngurra empowers teachers to bring First Nations language and culture into the classroom. NSW Aboriginal Languages Week is a wonderful time to celebrate and explore Dharug language, but this learning can continue all year round. We thank the Dharug language speakers and all who contributed to this latest SBS Learn resource, and hope it contributes to vital work happening in communities around the country to revitalise First Nations languages, while deepening cultural understanding for students across Australia.”

Wingaru CEO and founder, Lesley Woodhouse, said: “Language is more than words – it holds stories, connection and lore. Across Australia, First Nations language speakers are leading projects to keep languages strong. Dharug language is central to the culture of the 29 Dharug-speaking clans across Sydney, and Dharug community are working hard to revitalise our dhalang (language) through the efforts of Elders, speakers and projects like the Bayala Language Project. When teachers include Dharug language in their practice, they help strengthen it. I encourage more educators to connect with the local language of their area and learn the appropriate protocols to include it in everyday education.”

NSW Aboriginal Languages Week celebrates the strength, resilience and diversity of Aboriginal languages and the communities working to preserve, teach and revitalise them. This year’s theme ‘Let Our Voices Fly’ highlights the importance of keeping languages alive through education, community and culture, and SBS Learn’s Dharug Ngurra resource provides an opportunity to bring this theme to life.

Dharag Ngurra is the latest First Nations language classroom resource published by SBS Learn, following Learn Wiradjuri: Volume 1 Ngumbaayand Learn Wiradjuri: Volume 2 Bula, based on a published Wiradjuri Workbook written by Professor Lynette Riley and Diane Riley-McNaboe.

SBS Learn also encourages teachers to explore SBS’s award-winning interactive animation My Grandmother’s Lingo and the accompanying resource, which offers an opportunity to learn about the importance of preserving language and discover the endangered Aboriginal language of Marra, from the Arnhem Land region.

To explore Dharug Ngurra, and other SBS Learn resources, visit SBS Learn.

For a pdf version of this media release, click here.