What is the status of BC First nations languages? - First Peoples

What is the status of B.C. First Nations languages?sufficient computer skills, internet access and/or accessto computers. In addition to the creating moreonline language archives and promoting awarenessof the value of electronic archiving, communitiesneed capacity building for using new technologies,as well as skills training and increased access tocomputers.Summary of the Status ofB.C. First Nations LanguagesSpeakers• Fluent speakers make up only 5.1% (5,609) ofthe total population* and the vast majority ofthem are elders.• Semi-speakers make up only 8.2% (8,948) ofthe population* and less than 40% of them areunder the age of 24.Usage• First Nations language learners make up only11.1% (12,223) of the total population.*• Although there is great variability betweenschools, an average of about seven hours perweek is spent on language in First Nations-operatedschools and only about five hours in HeadStart programs. However, excluding immersionprograms, in reality only about one to four hoursper week are spent on First Nations language inmost schools.• Not all students attending a First Nations-operatedschool or Head Start program are learninga First Nations language. About 34% (1,923) ofstudents who are attending a Head Start programor a First Nations-operated school are reportedas not learning their First Nations language.*The Total B.C. First Nations population used in this report is 109,588.• In the vast majority of communities, language israrely if ever used in the home, government, mediaor community, or for daily communication.• There is no secure standardized educationplan in B.C. to ensure the creation of fluentspeakers.Language Resources• Only about 31% (53) communities have recordingsof their language available as a communityresource. The quality of many of these recordingsis poor.• Only about 52% (88) communities have any sortof curriculum materials for teaching the languages.Of course the schools providing languageprogramming have curricula, and some communitiesmay have curricula but little to no opportunityto use it and/or further develop it. Manyof these curricula are very limited and have notbeen developed for many levels of languagelearners.• Only about 39% (66) communities reported tohave access to a FirstVoices.com archive of theirlanguage.Based on the First Peoples’ Council frameworkfor defining and measuring language endangermentand according to the three main variablesin the framework, Speakers, Usage and LanguageResources (see Table 1), all of B.C. First Nationslanguages are critically endangered, if not sleepingalready.All of B.C. First Nations languages are criticallyendangered, if not sleeping already.22Report on the Status of B.C. First Nations Languages