Australian language preservation technology has received international recognition at the MIT Solve Challenge in New York.
The Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation (ALNF) won the 'Early Childhood Development' award for their 'Living First Language Platform' multi-media app.
The ground-breaking app preserves and revitalises Indigenous languages and provides literacy tools to assist people learn to read, write and teach their First Language.
ALNF Co-Chair Professor Tom Calma AO says the award will assist the organisation continue to develop the early childhood development resource.
'Language gives us a sense of identity and, for many Indigenous peoples globally, storytelling is the way our culture and history is shared through the generations,' Professor Calma said.
'The importance of First Language, particularly to early childhood development, has been recognised by the United Nations and it's especially exciting for us to win this award during the International Year of Indigenous Languages.'
ALNF is working with five Australian Indigenous language groups, including Erub Mer from the Torres Strait, which has only a few fluent speakers remaining.
More than 2000 Erub Mer words have been added to the teaching tool by an enthusiastic community, passionate about passing on their language to the next generation.
The ALNF project is supported by the Indigenous Languages and Arts program which assists Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities revive and maintain Indigenous languages.
Take a look at the 'Living First Language Platform' in this ALNF video:
