Yikan Noongar Language Program

Yikan Noongar is a language program engaging Year 3 to 6 students in learning one of the oldest living languages in the world. Over 90% of public schools in Western Australia are located on Noongar Country and Yikan Noongar is designed for students who go to school on Noongar Country.

Starting in Year 3, the program is designed to build respect and understanding for Noongar language, histories, cultures, people, knowledge and experiences. It supports students to understand the importance of sustainability and caring for Country.

Implementing Yikan Noongar in schools supports students to learn the language of the Country on which they live and supports schools to deliver the mandated curriculum.

How the resources have been developed

A rigorous, culturally responsive process was used to develop the Yikan Noongar program including direct and ongoing engagement with Noongar community, representatives from the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council and the Noongar Boodjar Language Culture Aboriginal Corporation (NBLCAC), and a Noongar circle of advisors.

What the program has to offer

Yikan Noongar language program is designed to be taught by a Noongar language teacher or Noongar person (with the classroom teacher becoming a co-learner with students). Program guidelines explain who can teach and how it can be taught in the classroom.

Each term includes:

• 2 x 45-minute lessons each week, for 9 weeks of each term
• 1 x 2.5-hour extended learning experience celebrating language, Country and community
• classroom resources, including videos, key word cards, language texts and a Noongar picture dictionary
• classroom resources for each of three dialectal regions with capacity for further adaptation to include local dialects.

This program is only available to Western Australian government schools on Noongar Country.

Developed in consultation with the WA Department of Education. Enquiries: email [email protected]

The Department of Education respectfully acknowledges that all Aboriginal languages belong to Country and Aboriginal people are the custodians of their Country, languages and cultures.