In the spirit of reconciliation, the Association of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (ATESOL NT) acknowledges the original inhabitants of the NT, the Indigenous peoples and their linguistic and cultural connections to land, sea, and community. We have great respect for Indigenous Peoples’ Educational knowledge and cultural practices developed over tens of thousands of years, as expressed in and through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) languages, and the realisation of these languages in western education contexts.
We acknowledge the impact from the arrival of the English language to this continent, affecting traditional languages and cultures of ATSI people. ATESOL NT strongly supports the use of these languages and cultural practices in the education of both Indigenous first-language learners, and non- Indigenous students in the NT.
ATESOL NT members teach English as an Additional Language, and, with great respect, support the maintenance and development of Indigenous First Languages in learning, and the employment of Indigenous Language speakers in our schools.
