Inuvik (Oct 20/06) - Students at Sir Alexander Mackenzie school are getting to learn their language in a new way.

After two years of drafting and planning, the new Inuvialuktun lesson plans are being implemented in classes around the region.

Although Ulukhaktok was the first community to adopt the plan, Inuvik is not far behind. The new curriculum has already been introduced to students enroled in the language class.

Cathy Cockney is the manager of the Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre, one of the organizations behind the new curriculum.

The new plans are good tools for teachers all over the North, she said.

"This is the first actual curriculum for the language in the region," she said.

Before the new approach, teachers taught their classes individually and at their own pace.

"In the past teachers were just given packages of teaching and learning materials," said Cockney.

Now classes follow a schedule and teachers have a 19-unit blueprint to adhere to.

The plan was completed in May and introduced to teachers during the regional conference last week.

Kindergarten teacher Sandra Ipana said the program is already being used in her class.

"I use the curriculum with my students," she said.

Right now, her class is learning basic terms and words.

"They are getting the hang of the phrases, so instead of asking for something in English, they might ask in our langauge," she said.

While teaching the language has never been hard for her, Ipana said the new plans will work well. "It's good to have a lesson plan there for reference," she said.

Cockney said even though the plan is in place and other communities are coming on board, there are still some obstacles to overcome.

"Not every community has a language teacher," she said. "So we are waiting for that to happen."

Training for the language teachers is underway and the hope is to introduce the rest of the educators to the new system over the next year.

Cockney said the initiative is a group effort and wouldn't have been possible without the continuing support of the Inuvialuit Corporation, the Beaufort Delta Education Council and the Gwich'in band in Inuvik.