Scientific Approach
pp. 56-57 · Read in the full issue
To language In New Guinea
r[E greatest difficulty in getting new ideas across to primitive people in places like New Guinea is the language barrier. Not only is there no written language for these people, but there are hundreds of different languages.
In the struggle to bring literacy to them, the science of linguistics is of great importance. How this science is applied, is something of a mystery to the layman, but in New Guinea the work is now actually being carried out by the New Guinea Branch of the Summer School of Linguistics.
A lease has been granted of a suitable acreage for a base of operations at Aiyura in the Eastern Highlands. At present there are 18 adult members in the New Guinea Branch, and studies have been initiated in two of the languages of the Territory.
In the early days of the work in New Guinea, the co-operation and help of the Administration in Port Moresby, as well as Government officials throughout the Territory, was much appreciated.
The work of the Summer Institute
of Linguistics was begun in 1934 when the first group of young men was given linguistic training preparatory to going from the USA to the Indian tribes of Mexico.
The organisation was founded by W. Cameron Townsend, aided by the late L. L. Legters, both of the
USA. Mr. Townsend had beer working with the Cakchiquel tribe in Guatemala, and because he hac had such difficulty in learning this language and putting it into writing! and preparing materials for the people, he felt it would be onlj fair to young people who were going
to unwritten language groups to train them in the linguistic and field procedures which had come to him only by hard experience.
At present two of the Summer Schools are being conducted at State Universities in the USA: the University of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla., and the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, N. Dakota.
Comparable courses are taught also in schools located in Canada, Melbourne (Vic.), and London, UK.
There have been more than 3,000 students who have taken the ■ linguistic training which consists of studies in Phonetics, Fhonemics, Morphology, Syntax and Field Problems. It is planned for the purpose of enabling an individual to break into and muster an unwritten language.
Many people are responding to the tremendous challenge of giving the little-known peoples of these language groups the opportunity of becoming literate in their own tongue, and sharing in the manifold blessings that are made possible through the printed page. The work is financed by private donations, foundations, etc.
The work in New Guinea com menced in 1956. The director is Mr. James Dean.
There are three specific ways in which the Institute is endeavouring to fulfil its obligations: (1) to produce scientific technical descriptions of languages, which are made available to governmental and educational people throughout the world. These materials are the outcome of language learning and analysis on the part of the individual linguist; \ (2) the preparation and pro duction of charts, primers, dictionaries and readers, as well as the promotion of literacy campaigns by its personnel. This is usually in close co-operation with the Department of Education of the country in which the studies are being made. (3) the translation of books of high moral and cultural value, particularly the Bible, into the language of the people. \ A recent visitor to New Caledonia was Mr. Allen Dalby, secretary, of he Apex Club of Broken Hill, NSW. Mr. Dalby’s activities in mtertaining New Caledonia school- Jhildren visiting Broken Hill each fear are much appreciated in New Caledonia.
L,The Secretary to the W. Samoan -rovernment, Mr. T. R. Smith, left ipia via Pago Pasro, in June, to Jroceed by air to New York to ittend the United Nations Trustee ship Council Meeting where the mnual report on the Trust Territory *f Western Samoa has been liscussed. Mr. Smith is the special epresentative of the administering mthority, New Zealand.