NTPE Northern Territory Pidgin English

European settlement in the Northern Territory was attempted over a period of about forty years. Settlement finally succeeded in 1870, and an influx of both English and Chinese speakers followed. In order to communicate between these two groups and the local Aboriginal people, pidgins developed throughout the territory. By 1900, Northern Territory Pidgin English (NTPE) was widespread and well understood.

For NTPE to creolise (to move beyond being a convenient pidgin and become a fully independent language), a new community would have to develop where it would became the primary language for all speakers. This first occurred in the Roper River Mission (Ngukurr), where cattle stations were established and a township developed.

During this period, the relations between the native and European peoples were strained: “a war of extermination” was declared by the settlers, and the Aboriginal people fiercely defended their lands. However, the control of lands was eventually seized by the settlers when a cattle company acquired much of the area. The settlers became more determined to take full control of the land from the native people, and carried out a campaign to do so.

The resettlements and land seizures nearly annihilated the indigenous population, and also provided one major factor in the development of the creole: drastic social change accompanied by severe communication difficulties.

The second requirement for the development of the creole was a new community, which came about when Anglican missionaries set up a refuge in the Roper River region in 1908. This brought together around 200 people from 8 different aboriginal ethnic groups, who spoke different native languages. Although the adults were multilingual, due to frequent meetings and ceremonies, the children had yet to acquire their native language skills, so they used the only common language they had: the NTPE. In their lifetime, these children were almost totally responsible for developing the pidgin into a full language.

Although the relations between the missionaries and Aboriginal people were friendly, the missions were not responsible for the development of Kriol. In fact, they tried to introduce Standard English as the official language for the mission, and although the Aboriginal children used this language in class, and to the missionaries themselves, Kriol flourished.

Kriol was not formally recognised as a language until the 1970s, mostly due to linguistic snobbery, that regarded it as a bastardisation of English rather than a language in its own right.

Varieties of Kriol
Kriol is very widely spoken in the Katherine area, but there are minor differences between the varieties of Kriol spoken in particular areas, and certain speakers of Kriol prefer to refer to their language by their unique name. However, linguistically the varieties are quite similar. Debate is ongoing about whether the varieties should be named differently, to highlight their different social significance, or whether they should all be lumped into one big category of Kriol. The differences are not actually that large: Mari Rhydwen compares the distinction to the distinction between American and British/Australian spelling.

Roper River (Ngukuur) Kriol is also spoken in Barunga, and in the Daly River area they speak a variety that is mutually intelligible to these people, but Daly River speakers do not consider themselves to be Kriol speakers. There is the question of whether the varieties should be understood as different forms of Kriol to strengthen the identities of the respective regions; or whether they all should be seen as Kriol, and potentially have a better chance of funding for bilingual education programs.

Kriol Baibul: First complete translation of the Bible
On May 5th 2007, the first complete edition of the Bible on the Kriol language was launched officially at Katherine in the Northern Territory. This significant step in the literary consolidation of the language as a mother-tongue, and was begun in 1978. Over 29 years, a team of native Kriol speakers led by the Rev. Canon Gumbuli Wurrumara and specialists from the society for Australian Indigenous Languages has worked to produce this edition of the Bible- which is also the first complete edition of the Bible in any indigenous Australian language. The translation was a joint project of The Bible Society, Lutheran Bible Translators, The Church Missionary Society, the Anglican church, Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Australian Society of Indigenous Languages.

Current issues
A problem facing many communities in Northern Australia is that creole-speaking children are treated as though they speak English, but speak it badly; so they do not receive education in English as a second language. On the other hand, because they are not regarded as having a native mother tongue, they are denied access to education in their traditional language.

The only official bilingual language program in Kriol is at Barunga, which was established during the Whitlam government, and has successfully included Kriol as both a medium and object of study. Funding is scarce for any further development of programmes. Although Kriol is widely spoken, its literal translation is minimal, with the exception of the Bible. This means that literacy rates of Kriol are quite low. Apart from practical implications of this, especially if English literacy is also low (i.e. written communication, education opportunities), it means that traditional stories are either not recorded in written form, or the Ngukurr people must rely on texts from Barunga, which may lessen the identity distinction between the two groups. However, Aboriginal cultures are not traditionally rooted in written records, so the lack of written versions of texts may be a function of the oral nature of Aboriginal storytelling.

RuneScape is a Java-based MMORPG operated by Jagex Ltd. With over nine million active free accounts and more than one million paid member accounts, RuneScape is rated among the most popular online games in the world. More than five million unique players access their accounts to play RuneScape at least once per month. RuneScape offers both free and subscription content and is designed to be accessible from any location with an Internet connection and to run in an ordinary web browser without straining system resources. One of the best website that discussed various gamers' issues is IJFG.com IJFG.COM Internet Junction For Gamers Internet Junction For Gamers, Runescape Market and More IJFG.COM This site has Jokes, Pranks, Runescape and other cool games at IJFG.COM. RuneScape is set in a medieval fantasy world, similar to "Guild Wars" or "EverQuest", where players control character representations of themselves. As with most massive multiplayer online roleplaying games (MMORPG), there is no overall objective or end to the game. Players explore, form alliances, perform optional tasks, and complete quests for rewards and to build character's skills. Internet Junction For Gamers, Runescape Market and More. IJFG.com IJFG.com RuneScape takes place in the fantasy-themed realm of Gielinor, which is divided into several different kingdoms, regions, and areas. Players can travel throughout the gaming world on foot, by using magical teleportation spells or devices, or mechanical means of transportation. Each region offers different types of monsters, materials, and quests to challenge players. Players are shown on the screen as customisable avatars. They set their own goals and objectives, deciding which of the available activities to pursue. There is no linear path that must be followed. Players can engage in combat with other players or with monsters, complete quests, or increase their experience in any of the available skills. Players interact with each other through trading, chatting, or playing combative or cooperative mini-games. Internet Junction For Gamers, Runescape Market and More IJFG.COM IJFG.com

Contact Information

Call our office today to set up an appointment. Learn more about how we can help you, and learn more about the other services that we can offer you. All messages we receive will be answered as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing from you.

Electronic mail: General Information:

NTPE Northern Territory Pidgin English

Contact Information

Copyright © 2007 ntpe.com Powered by Engineer Partner The One Stop Outsource