Matjarr Djuyal 'hand talk' : how using gestures in teaching the revitalised Gathang language helps preschoolers learn an Aboriginal language

Abstract

This research seeks to expand current knowledge on language revitalisation and the effectiveness of gesturing as a teaching strategy for young children learning the Gathang language. Gathang is a revitalised language of the Birrbay, Warrimay and Guringay peoples located on the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia. The thesis weaves together strands or threads that represent Aboriginal knowing, being and doing, influencing Aboriginal language revitalisation and research. Using gestures (known as 'hand talk') with children and undertaking in-class experiments, the research aims to combine Western-focused theory regarding linguistics and Aboriginal cultural ways relating to storytelling and cultural knowledge. Two experimental studies measured the effectiveness of gesture, by employing a context in which other variables (e.g., other teaching pedagogies) could be held constant. In Experiment 1 the results showed a statistically significant effect of gesture on children's learning of Gathang nouns. Preschoolers displayed greater receptive knowledge of Gathang words learned with gesture than without, in the retention testing though not in the acquisition testing. In the retention testing, the effect on expressive knowledge also approached but did not reach statistical significance. Experiment 2, however, showed no significant effects of gesture on learning nouns+suffixes, in either receptive or expressive knowledge, at Post-test 1 and at Post-test 2. Alongside experimental investigation, this thesis investigated the perspectives of the children's regular preschool educators on the use of gesture that they had seen in the experiments. In summary, the findings of this thesis contribute to a growing body of research attesting to the effectiveness of gesture for improving language acquisition amongst learners. The findings provide the first detailed picture of how gesture can be effective in an Aboriginal language revitalisation context, both for the learning of preschool children in classroom settings, and as a way of involving their mainstream educators. This evidence should embolden language practitioners and linguists to include gesture in the design of language revitalisation programs since gesture also aligns with traditional Aboriginal teaching practices and offers a relatively low-cost strategy for helping teachers assist their students in acquiring Aboriginal languages.

Date of Award	2022
Original language	English