I am fortunate to be involved in two long-term research projects taking place in Aboriginal communities across Canada. The first is a 20-year program of research that explores the use of Inuktitut as the primary language of instruction in schools in Inuit communities. Our research has pointed to the social and academic benefits of using Inuktitut in the classroom. The second project is being conducted in conjunction with Dr. Roxane de la Sablonnière and Dr. Esther Usborne at the Université de Montréal, as well as with Inuit governments and communities from across Canada. This project uses innovative survey research as a vehicle to engage parents and community members in the education of their children.

Selected Publications:

 
Usborne, E., Caouette, J., Qumaaluk, Q., & Taylor, D. M. (2009). Bilingual Education in an Aboriginal Context: Examining the Transfer of Language Skills from Inuktitut to English or French. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 12, 667-685.
 
Taylor, D. M., Caouette, J., Usborne, E., & Wright, S. C. (2008). Aboriginal languages in Quebec: Fighting linguicide with bilingual education. Diversité Urbaine, Special Issue Autumn 2008, 69-89.
 
Taylor, D. M., Aitchison, M., Keleutak, H., Airo, S., Qumaaluk, Q., Qinuajuak, S., de Krom, V., de la Sablonnière, R., & Usborne, E. (2008). Partnering with Parents and Communities: Maximizing the Educational Experience for Inuit Students. Document presented at the Education Summit, Inuvik, April, 2008, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK).
 
Wright, S. C., Taylor, D. M., & Macarthur, J. (2000). Subtractive bilingualism and the survival of the Inuit language: Heritage-versus second-language education. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92, 63-84.