TrSA国际影视传媒檌inin Tsal Ginjik GeSA国际影视传媒檛rSA国际影视传媒檕onahtan, the GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n Tribal CouncilSA国际影视传媒檚 language nest, has been a success story through its first four years of existence, according to Michelle Wright, the organizationSA国际影视传媒檚 manager of early learning and language.

SA国际影视传媒淭he language nest has been very successful for children in that they are acquiring dinjii zhuh kSA国际影视传媒檡uu SA国际影视传媒� the GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n language,SA国际影视传媒� Wright said. SA国际影视传媒淧arents of the program have observed a noticeable growth in their childSA国际影视传媒檚 ability to speak and understand.

SA国际影视传媒漌e have one program in Inuvik, with the hopes of expanding to other communities.SA国际影视传媒�

The language nest opened in Inuvik in early 2019. The program operates much like a full-day daycare, but is facilitated in GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n, exposing children to the language at a young age.

SA国际影视传媒淐hildren ages zero to six are the prime candidates for language immersion,SA国际影视传媒� Wright said, explaining the benefits of the program.

SA国际影视传媒淭raditionally, children were raised in the home where language is spoken,SA国际影视传媒� she added. SA国际影视传媒淭he next best thing is language nest programs where children spend eight hours of the day in the language.SA国际影视传媒�

While the language nest has been getting positive results from its attendees and great feedback from parents, Wright and her colleagues still aim to improve operations where they can.

There are two particularly exciting plans in the works for 2024. The biggest initiative this year, she said, is developing a GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n language curriculum and training GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n language teachers for the language nest.

WrightSA国际影视传媒檚 department also aims to start offering GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n language classes to the parents of children enrolled at the language nest, SA国际影视传媒渟o that children also hear the language spoken in the homeSA国际影视传媒� which she called SA国际影视传媒渢he long-term goal.SA国际影视传媒�

There are challenges to running the language nest, however. Like many daycares and schools across Canada, one of the main issues is a lack of space. The language nest can only accommodate so many children. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 particularly problematic in Inuvik, which is one of the larger communities in the NWT, with more than 3,000 residents.

The other big problem, Wright said, is SA国际影视传媒渢he number of fluent speakers that work in early learning.SA国际影视传媒�

According to UNESCOSA国际影视传媒檚 World Atlas of Languages, the GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n language is SA国际影视传媒渟everely endangered,SA国际影视传媒� with only a few hundred speakers remaining in Canada.

Wright hopes that, in time, language revitalization initiatives like the language nest will help change that, at which point a lack of fluent speakers in the education sector may no longer be a problem.

SA国际影视传媒淚 am optimistic as long as we all move forward together towards the same goal of revitalizing our language,SA国际影视传媒� she said.