Inuit Language Proficiency Courses at the Nunavut Arctic College

Louise Flaherty ᓗᐃᔅ ᕝᓚᕼᐅᕐᑎ

Iqaluit, NU

Abstract

This study investigates the opinions of Nunavut Arctic College students on the delivery of Inuit language courses. After the advent of the Inuit Language Protection Act and the Official Languages Act, we explore if the only post-secondary institution in Nunavut has enough Inuktitut courses for students to become confident Inuktitut speakers, readers and writers. The study summarizes questionnaire data from the twenty-four current students in the three programs where one Inuit language course is taught. Through the questionnaires, students express their views of their Inuktitut learning opportunities and experience. Drawing on the voice of participants, this study aspires to bring forth the reality faced by students in programs where one Inuktitut course is taught and highlights the reality they face when they leave the program.

Key Words: Inuktitut, language courses, Nunavut Arctic College.

ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖅ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᓯᓚᑦᑐᖅᓴᕐᕕᖓᓂ

ᓗᐃᔅ ᕝᓚᐅᕆᑎ

ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ

 ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖓ

ᑕᒡᕙᓂ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᑎᓐᓂ ᐊᐱᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᔪᒍᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᓯᓚᑦᑐᖅᓴᕐᕕᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕇᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᒥᓂᖏᑦ ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑕᐅᕙᖕᒪᖔᑕ. ᐱᙳᖅᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᖓᐅᑎᖓᑦ ᓴᐳᔾᔭᐅᓂᖓᑕ ᐱᖁᔭᖓ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᖓᐅᑏᑦ ᐃᓕᑕᕆᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐱᖁᔭᖓᑦ, ᕿᕐᕈᓯᒪᔪᒍᑦ ᖁᑦᑎᓐᓂᖅᓴᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᑐᐊᒥ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐊᖑᒻᒪᑎᒐᓗᐊᕐᒪᖔᑦ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑕᐅᕙᑦᑐᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑏᑦ ᑯᑕᙱᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑑᑦᑎᐊᕈᓐᓇᖅᓯᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕈᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᕈᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᖁᓪᓗᒋᓪᓗ.  ᖃᐅᔨᓴᓚᐅᖅᑐᒍᑦ ᐊᕙᑎᓂᒃ ᑎᓴᒪᓂᒡᓗ ᒫᓐᓇ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᑭᐅᔾᔪᑎᒥᓂᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᐱᖅᑯᑎᓕᐊᕆᓚᐅᖅᑕᑎᒍᑦ ᑭᐅᔭᕆᐊᓕᒃᑯᑦ ᓇᐃᓈᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑭᐅᔭᒥᓃᑦ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᐊᕐᓗᑎᖑᓐᓃᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖓᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ.  ᐊᐱᖅᑯᑎᒃᑯᑦ ᑭᐅᔭᒥᓂᕐᓂᑦ, ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑏᑦ ᑭᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐃᓱᒪᖕᒪᖔᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᒐᒃᓴᒥᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓯᒪᔭᒥᓂᒡᓗ.

ᐊᐱᖅᑯᑎᑦ ᑭᐅᖃᑦᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᑐᙵᕕᒋᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓂᐱᖏᑦ, ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᓴᖅᑮᓇᓱᐊᕋᑦᑕ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑏᑦ ᓵᙵᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᐸᑦᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᐊᖅᑕᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᒐᐃᒻᒪᑕ ᖃᓄᑎᒋ ᐃᓕᑉᐹᓕᖅᐸᒻᒪᖔᑕ ᐱᔭᕇᕋᐃᒐᒥᓪᓗ ᓵᙵᓪᓚᑦᑖᖅᐸᑦᑕᖏᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᕐᒥᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕇᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᕿᒪᐃᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᑎᒃ

ᐅᖃᐅᓰᑦ ᓇᓂᓯᔾᔪᑏᑦ: ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ, ᐅᖃᐅᓯᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖅ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᓯᓚᑦᑐᖅᓴᕐᕕᒃ.

Student biographies are also available.