Warra: Building teams, building resources

‘We make all our own resources for the classroom. Everything from day plans, to notices of what’s happening in the school, to a complete scope and sequence. We make power points, black-and-white colour ins, and visual games on smart boards. We use maps, games music, songs and movie clips, everything we can to make language fun and engaging for the students and teachers.’

– Geoff Anderson, Parkes Wiradjuri Language Group

Warra is a tool to assist people who are looking to create Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language resources. It was compiled to help families and communities with the work of maintaining and strengthening Australia’s traditional languages.

Developed in collaboration with language centres and programs nationally, Warra showcases a wide range of language resources and highlights important considerations in community resource production. Project examples and photographs highlight a range of successful projects to guide and inspire future work.

Experienced language project teams around the country contributed to the guide to help make the collaborative work of producing Indigenous language resources easier for all involved.

‘I find making language resources very inspiring. To me it is preparing for the future. We are making resources for our people so that they will be able to just pick it up and run with it. Learn it, speak it.’

– Melinda Holden, Warrgamay Community

Warra has eight parts, each covering some key points to consider in resource production:

• Before getting started

• Building the language resource project team

• The consultation process

• Choosing a product, choosing a design

• Funding your project

• Community control and ownership of resources

• Archiving the material you collect

• Marketing, selling and distribution

Warra was developed to save time and effort for everyone involved in language resource production. While there will be unique challenges with any project, First Languages Australia is hopeful that this guide will make the work a little easier.

‘Great effort goes into creating resources so it is important they are seen by the biggest possible audience. ‘

– Faith Baisden, First Languages Australia

'Warra' is a noun for ‘talk’ that also means ‘language’, ‘speech’, the act of talking, ‘voice’, ‘throat’ and ‘word’, in the Kaurna language of the Adelaide Plains. The rr in warra is a rolled r-sound. The a-sound in warra is pronounced as in Maori haka. The title Warra has been contributed by Kaurna Warra Pintyanthi and is shared by related languages, including Nukunu and Narungga.

Artwork 
Wayampajarti Country
by Mawukura Jimmy Nerrrimah

120x90cm, acrylic on canvas, 2009

Copyright Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency.

Licensing by Viscopy, 2014