Pertame Ngketja Untja (Pertame Language Nest)
We are the first true immersion Language Nest Play Group Australia
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What is a Language Nest?
A language nest is a language program for children from birth to five years old where they are immersed in their First Nations language. It creates a space where young children can be raised in their Indigenous language through meaningful interaction with fluent Elders and Educators, where all communication will be carried out in the Indigenous language. The idea is to raise babies naturally as fluent speakers of their endangered Indigenous languages, through repeated exposure to their language for 10-20 hours per week over several years.
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Saving the Pertame Language
The Pertame Ngketja Untja (Language Nest) is a immersion playgroup for Pertame infants and their parents to be immersed within their language, culture and community to create bilingual, culturally resilient, and community-connected children. We leave English at the front door, and create the one place in the world where Pertame language is the dominant language. We want to raise our children as first language Pertame speakers once again, as our Elders were raised.
Enrol Your Child Now
Sign up here to enrol your Pertame under 5 year old in our Pertame immersion play group.
Pertame Ngketja Untja (Language Nest)
Who?
The Language Nest is open to Pertame 0-5 year olds and their parents or carers. This is a playgroup, not a childcare. The idea is for our babies' parents/carers to learn Pertame alongside their baby, support their baby through Nest and then continue to speak language in their homes. Our Nest is led by Pertame educators and guided by fluent Elders. We often have multiple generations of our children's carers supporting them in the Nest, from their parents to their great-grandparents.
Where?
The Pertame Language Nest runs out of the Yipirinya Childcare Centre. We have a bus service picking up parents, carers and children to come to get to the Nest. Our bus is fully equipped with infant seats.
When?
The Language Nest runs 4 days a week, from Tuesday to Friday. The Language Nest starts at 10am and finishes at 2pm. It is important that babies come along to the Nest as much as possible for the babies to hear enough Pertame to become fluent speakers.
How the Language Nest will Benefit your child
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Wellbeing and Identity
This Language Nest will lay strong foundations for Pertame children to develop pride and confidence in their cultural identity, self-esteem, and a sense of security within their Pertame community to increase their overall wellbeing later in life. Early childhood is a critical time for the development of thinking and social skills, as well as cultural and personal identity. A language nest is an excellent place to grow and nurture all of these aspects of a child’s development.
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Healthy Routines, Motor Skills and Play-Based Learning
In our Pertame Language Nest, we model and reinforce health, nutrition and personal hygiene practices with children. We provide a healthy morning tea and lunch for our children, and create routines to model hand-washing before eating, healthy food choices and cleaning up after yourself. We engage children in experiences, conversations and routines that promote healthy lifestyles and good nutrition.
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Academic and Brain Development
Learning another language may help your child academically. Learning a language is a complex process that involves problem-solving and making meaning. Children are required to pay greater attention to the clues and patterns of communication. Children who can speak two languages having higher levels of cognitive (brain) flexibility than children that can only speak one language. Research has shown that the English of children raised in Language Nests catch up to and then overtake the English of children that only speak one language.
Employment for Pertame Parents/Carers
The Pertame Language Nest employs young parents/carers and grandparents of our Pertame babies to bring their baby four days a week to our Language Nest. Our mothers/carers go on a journey with their baby, learning Pertame together in the Nest, then taking the language home to continue speaking Pertame to their babies.
Read more information here by downloading our Language Nest Principles, Practices and Learning Outcomes
Our Supporters
