Research from Charles Sturt University (CSU) has shown that many Indigenous children have competence in several languages, and rich and supportive language and literacy environments.

The research is by Professor Sharynne McLeod from the CSU Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education (RIPPLE) and the School of Teacher Education, and PhD student Ms Sarah Verdon.

"Most of the recent and current research has focused on Indigenous children's difficulties with English, but has not considered that they might speak up to eight languages each. These include English, Indigenous languages, creoles, foreign languages, and sign languages," Professor McLeod said.

"Most Indigenous Australian children are supported by their families and communities to have rich language and literacy environments."

"Children in remote regions are more likely to speak and experience Indigenous languages and cultures, whereas children in urban environments may have less exposure to Indigenous languages and require additional resources to support Indigenous language learning."

The research is from the child cohort of Footprints in Time: Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children, a national study of Indigenous Australian children supported by Indigenous Australians and the Australian Government. This study reports the language competence of 692 Indigenous Australian children aged three to seven years. Cross-sectional and longitudinal data is based on parent report and direct assessment.

"World-wide it is important to recognize indigenous children's speech and language competence and their language learning environments," Professor McLeod said.

"Celebrating Indigenous Australian children's speech and language competence and the resources of their families and communities is one step toward fulfilling the recommendation in Article 13 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, ' … to revitalize, use, develop and transmit to future generations their histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, writing systems and literatures ... '.

"The children's language environments in this study were rich, with many family members and friends telling oral stories, reading books, and listening to the children read. Almost a third of families wished to pass on their cultural language, and many indicated that they would like their child to learn an Indigenous language at school.

"While the most common language spoken among the Indigenous children in the study is English, approximately a quarter of children speak Indigenous languages, and more than ten per cent speak creoles. Children who speak an Indigenous language are more likely to live in more remote areas of Australia."

Professor McLeod said parental concern about speech and language skills was similar to data for non-Indigenous children, with approximately a quarter of parents expressing concern."It is important that those within children's communities, including teachers, are equipped with knowledge and resources to support the development of Indigenous children's language competence, and that collaborative partnerships are sustained to enable families to play an active role in their aspiration to pass on Indigenous language and culture to their children," she said.

A paper about this study, 'Celebrating Indigenous Australian children's languages: Diversity, competence, and support', will be presented at the Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) National Indigenous Studies conference in Canberra (26-28 March) on Thursday 27 March. The research findings are published in: McLeod S, Verdon S, Bennetts Kneebone, L. (2014). Celebrating Indigenous Australian children's speech and language competence. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 29(2), 118-131.