How does an 'oral' culture turn itself into a 'literate' culture?
Can the community exercise choice in the matter at all, or will
the process be the result of the dominating tides of the world's
globalising cultures? East Timor is facing these issues and Macquarie
University is working with the National University of East Timor
to find some solutions.
 |
|
From
left: Dr David Butt and Alison Moore from the Centre for Language
in Social Life; Dr Geoffrey Hull, University of Western Sydney;
Francisco Martins, Vice-Rector National University of East
Timor, Professor John Loxton, Deputy-Vice Chancellor (Academic)
Macquarie University, Dr Benjamim Corte-Real, National University
of East Timor, and Professor Tony Adams, Director International
Programs at Macquarie.
|
Director of Macquarie University's Centre for Language in Social
Life, Dr David Butt, explains that plans to help East Timor develop
its literate culture have been under discussion for two years, and
recently two linguists from the National University of East Timor
visited Macquarie to commence work on a collaborative project.
Butt says there are many languages in East Timor - between 13 and
30, depending on how you make the divisions. Tetum, currently used
by around three-quarters of the population, is the 'national' language.
Portuguese has contributed to the evolution of Tetum, and has also
been the mode of the institutions of education, church, and state.
For these reasons, Portuguese has been designated the 'official'
language, taking up where Tetum cannot presently function. The Indonesian
language was imposed by importing teachers for high schools and
by military induction - its influence is localised, and its associations
problematic. Other foreign languages, such as English, can not be
regarded as tools for community literacy, nor can they ensure that
the institutions of East Timorese communities - law, governance,
social structure, oral performance - are maintained.
Such considerations were the focus of discussions between the National
University of East Timor's Vice-Rector, Francisco Martins, Director
of the University's Institute of Linguistics, Dr Benjamim Corte-Real,
and Macquarie University linguists. The visit was organised through
Macquarie's International Office and the Centre for Language in
Social Life.
For Corte-Real, it was a return to the campus - his PhD and Masters
degrees were both completed at Macquarie under Butt's supervision.
Working together through Macquarie, a team that also includes Dr
Geoffrey Hull from the University of Western Sydney, and Dr Lance
Eccles from Macquarie's Department of Languages, aims to produce
a wide range of orthographies, glossaries, dictionaries, and grammars.
"At the same time, we will generate texts of immediate practical
relevance for schools as well as for workers in health, law, and
agriculture," Butt says.
Butt explains that this project has been given urgent priority
by East Timorese leaders.
"It forms the basis of an Academic Partners Scheme sought
by the National University of East Timor's Rector, Armindo Maia,"
he says. "While the link may begin through literacy, and therefore
linguistics, the aim is to bring about partnerships from departments
right across Macquarie. This partnership scheme will be launched
at a conference to be held in Dili in February," he says.
|
