July 10, 2007
Learning Inuktitut just got a little less challenging with the launch of a comprehensive multi-media website, dubbed Tusaalanga [www.tusaalanga.ca]. The website was developed by the Pirurvik Centre, an Iqaluit-based company, as part of their program to train the Government of Nunavut’s Deputy Ministers in Inuktitut, the territory’s largest language.
“The creation of Nunavut has made speaking Inuktitut an essential skill for people in all professions to engage with the public,” said Leena Evic, President and founder of Pirurvik. “Tusaalanga is part of our efforts to make the language training we provided Government of Nunavut Deputy Ministers available to a larger number of people.”
Tusaalanga means let me hear it in Inuktitut. The website features hundreds of soundfiles of vocabulary, dialogues and songs that let the user hear how the language is pronounced. The website also features grammar lessons and a glossary with over 600 terms. Tusaalanga was built in collaboration with Pirurvik’s partner, Web Networks, using the successful Attavik.net service.
“We know that there are a lot of people out there who are eager to learn Inuktitut and who are frustrated by the limited opportunities to do so,” said Evic. “Tusaalanga is a rich resource that will help people to build their Inuktitut skills on their own time.”
Pirurvik will offer three new Inuktitut courses to the public beginning this fall. “Tusaalanga is most valuable as a learning resource when it is complemented by in-class instruction,” said Evic. “There is no substitute for face-to-face learning with a professional instructor.”
Pirurvik was contracted in 2006 to train the Government of Nunavut’s Deputy Ministers in Inuktitut. It is the territory’s largest language and the most commonly spoken in the Legislative Assembly and around the Cabinet table. The Government of Nunavut has committed to make Inuktitut its working language by 2020 and to have senior officials speaking Inuktitut by 2008. Attavik is a collaborative project between Pirurvik and Web Networks to support Inuktitut web publishing and content management services.