A Learner's Guide to Eastern and Central Arrente

Eastern and Central Arrernte are strong languages, spoken every day by about 2000 people in Mparntwe (Alice Springs), Ltyentye Apurte (Santa Teresa) and other communities in Central Australia. For Arrernte people, their language is important in a way that goes beyond straightforward communication; it links them with their family, with their country and with their Dreamings. This fully revised learner's guide is an excellent introduction to the Arrernte language. It explains the structure of the language in a clear way, without using linguistic jargon. Special features of this book include sections on kinship, useful words and phrases and a guide to the pronunciation and spelling of Arrernte. An accompanying audio cassette contains readings of the example sentences and dialogues in the learner's guide, as well as additional information about the sounds of Arrernte.