Native Language Education: An Inquiry Into What Is and What Could Be

Abstract

The objective of my honors thesis study was to explore the current state ofK-12 andpostsecondary Native language (NL) education in Canada and to examine thepossibilities of incorporating outdoor education with NL programs. This qualitativeresearch project explored this objective through focus group sessions and individualinterviews. Learner and Educator participants were queried about their experiences,values, and ideas about Native language education. Twenty-two Aboriginal adultsparticipated in my study, and results pointed to a number of conclusions: (a) learnersappear to wish to increase their Native language skills; (b) educators appear to beinterested in working toward reaching educational ideals; (c) much work remains torevitalize Native languages in Canada; and (d) gaps in Native languageprogramming suggest opportunities to develop and implement more Native languageprograms including the incorporation of outdoor education.