Cultural Awareness Session on Kurdish Culture and Language

Australia has recently seen a number of Kurdish refugees and immigrants settle in Australia, but there is often confusion about who the Kurds are, and their relation to the countries in which they reside – mainly Turkey, Iraq and Iran. Most are Islamic, but one distinct group which largely speak Kurdish Kurmanji – the Yazidi (Ezidi) – are not.

The Kurdish language is also not one language, but has several distinct varieties which may cause confusion, particularly when organising language services.

A panel of practising Kurdish interpreters and a language specialist will look at the distinct cultural and linguistic features of this group, and how service providers can best meet their needs.  

Topics Covered:
Background to Kurdish immigration to Australia
Cultural variation among Kurdish populations
The varieties of Kurdish language
Implications of linguistic diversity for language services
Who would this be useful for?
Users of language services and all service providers who have contact with Kurdish clients.

Presented/Facilitated By:
Dr Uldis Ozolins, with assistance from Kurdish interpreters Shirin Badpa, Dr Shorsh Ahmad and Shabboo Shariati.

Dr Uldis Ozolins is a prominent teacher and researcher on Interpreting and Translation in Australia.

Shirin Badpa and Shaboo Shariati are practising interpreters in Melbourne; Dr Shorsh Ahmad is a leading Kurdish educator and former Principal

Learning Goals: After completing this event you will gain:

Knowledge of:
The varieties of the Kurdish language and the correct identification of language and interpreting needs of this population.
Familiarity with the cultural, religious and social variations in the Kurdish population

Skills to:
Be able to more appropriately identify languages and respond to the needs of Kurdish clients

Your interest and support is greatly appreciated and we hope you will join us for our events throughout 2020 and onwards.

Don’t forget to visit our new training website for more information and PD opportunities
https://allgraduates.arlo.co/w/