Qallunaat Learners of Inuktitut: A Qualitative Investigation of How and Why Non-Inuit Learn Inuktitut as a Second Language

Qallunaat, or people of non-Inuit heritage, are not often mentioned when discussing Inuktitut revitalisation. Yet there is an increasing number of Qallunaat moving to Inuit Nunangat, the traditional Inuit homeland who do not learn Inuktitut. The present study investigates the motivations and attitudes of Qallunaat who do learn Inuktitut. Using the L2 Motivational Self System (Dörnyei, 2005) as a theoretical framework, the present study considers the internal and external pressures for why a Qallunaat might choose to learn Inuktitut. The data, collected from interviews with Qallunaat learners of Inuktitut (n=7), suggest that this demographic is motivated primarily by internal factors. The present study also investigates which language learning resources Qallunaat have access to and which resources they believe are currently missing. Having access to a proficient speaker of Inuktitut was the highest rated resource for these learners. A number of pedagogical and theoretical implications are herein discussed.