Community languages in early 21st Century Australia. Drawing on the 2001 and earlier censuses, three in-depth studies and a survey of community institutions, this project will provide an up-to-date assessment of the use and maintenance levels of a range of community languages and of Australia's changing language demography. It will test models of language maintenance/shift and the impact of census question changes on the calculation of language shift. It will contribute to the international lite ....Community languages in early 21st Century Australia. Drawing on the 2001 and earlier censuses, three in-depth studies and a survey of community institutions, this project will provide an up-to-date assessment of the use and maintenance levels of a range of community languages and of Australia's changing language demography. It will test models of language maintenance/shift and the impact of census question changes on the calculation of language shift. It will contribute to the international literature in the field as well as to a greater understanding of our own community. The latter will allow an informed approach to Australian language policy issues in the early twenty-first century.Read moreRead less
The spread of gender-inclusive language reform in Outer-Circle Englishes: English in Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines. This examination aims to describe the adoption and spread of gender-inclusive language use in the Englishes in Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines and to compare this process to the one observed in 'native' Englishes (eg.Australian English). The comparative approach between 'native' and 'non-native' Englishes is innovative. Expected outcomes include significant progre ....The spread of gender-inclusive language reform in Outer-Circle Englishes: English in Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines. This examination aims to describe the adoption and spread of gender-inclusive language use in the Englishes in Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines and to compare this process to the one observed in 'native' Englishes (eg.Australian English). The comparative approach between 'native' and 'non-native' Englishes is innovative. Expected outcomes include significant progress in the study of planned language change, of English as a global language and language and gender identity. The study will have an impact on social policy development.Read moreRead less
The development of refined and validated Language Australia ESL Bandscales for improved assessment, reporting and outcomes of English-as-a-second-language learners in schools. One in four school students (migrant-background and indigenous) are non-English speaking background, many speaking English-as-a-second-language or dialect (ESL/ESD). Since many are 'at risk' according to Literacy Benchmarks testing, optimal ESL-informed teaching, reporting and assessment is needed. The ESL Bandscales, wid ....The development of refined and validated Language Australia ESL Bandscales for improved assessment, reporting and outcomes of English-as-a-second-language learners in schools. One in four school students (migrant-background and indigenous) are non-English speaking background, many speaking English-as-a-second-language or dialect (ESL/ESD). Since many are 'at risk' according to Literacy Benchmarks testing, optimal ESL-informed teaching, reporting and assessment is needed. The ESL Bandscales, widely used for 8 years, will be empirically validated using quantitative (Rasch modeling) and qualitative techniques to provide a more trustworthy teaching/reporting map. A team of researchers, including 3 APAIs, will draw on and improve understandings and assessment of Industry Partner teachers of migrant-background and indigenous learners, resulting in a new map(s) of ESL/ESD learning, published as ESL Bandscales II.Read moreRead less
Revival' in the Middle East: The Genesis of Israeli ('Modern Hebrew') - lessons for revival of no-longer spoken Australian languages. This project will enhance mutual understanding within multicultural Australia: (1) helping community leaders seeking to apply the lessons of Israeli to the revival of no-longer spoken Australian languages; (2) assisting local Jews to explore their roots and substantially improving Israeli and Hebrew teaching methodologies at universities and Jewish schools in Aust ....Revival' in the Middle East: The Genesis of Israeli ('Modern Hebrew') - lessons for revival of no-longer spoken Australian languages. This project will enhance mutual understanding within multicultural Australia: (1) helping community leaders seeking to apply the lessons of Israeli to the revival of no-longer spoken Australian languages; (2) assisting local Jews to explore their roots and substantially improving Israeli and Hebrew teaching methodologies at universities and Jewish schools in Australia. Globally, the project will enhance Australia's understanding of social, political and cultural conditions in the Middle East, by facilitating a clearer and more complex understanding of the languages and politics in the region. It will therefore make a valuable contribution to the war against terrorism, now the major threat to national security.Read moreRead less
Local Noise: Indigenising Hip hop in Australasia. The research will lead to an increase in public understanding of the cultural, linguistic, social and pedagogical importance of hip hop culture in general, and particularly among youth of indigenous, Pacific and non-Anglo background in Australasia. Particular emphasis will be placed on the empowering aspects of hip hop as a means of asserting confidence among youth from indigenous and migrant backgrounds, and the educational applications of hip h ....Local Noise: Indigenising Hip hop in Australasia. The research will lead to an increase in public understanding of the cultural, linguistic, social and pedagogical importance of hip hop culture in general, and particularly among youth of indigenous, Pacific and non-Anglo background in Australasia. Particular emphasis will be placed on the empowering aspects of hip hop as a means of asserting confidence among youth from indigenous and migrant backgrounds, and the educational applications of hip hop, providing new material for multicultural and indigenous programs in schools, along with fostering the employment of hip hop artists in schools and community centres to teach, disadvantaged young people. Read moreRead less
Investigating the effectiveness of audio-graphic conferencing in real time on language acquisition at a distance. This project brings together recognised international experts in computer-mediated communication (CMC) and second language acquisition (SLA) in a large-scale investigation of the use of synchronous, internet-based conferencing using voice, text and image applications (audio-graphics) in second language acquisition. Distance learners at the British Open University and at Monash Unive ....Investigating the effectiveness of audio-graphic conferencing in real time on language acquisition at a distance. This project brings together recognised international experts in computer-mediated communication (CMC) and second language acquisition (SLA) in a large-scale investigation of the use of synchronous, internet-based conferencing using voice, text and image applications (audio-graphics) in second language acquisition. Distance learners at the British Open University and at Monash University will take part in a time-series analysis in which they are systematically involved in either traditional distance learning (text, audio, video, face-to-face) or internet-mediated audio-graphic conferencing in real time. Variables under investigation will be proficiency and language learning strategies.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354738
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Digital Endangered Cultural Materials Network: Working group on digital research methodologies for endangered ethnographic material of the Asia-Pacific region. The initiative aims to develop new synergies and improved methods to record, archive and give access to endangered cultural material by bringing together practitioners in information technology, field research and regional stakeholders. Through e-publication of our workshop results, the compilation of an online resource guide and provisio ....Digital Endangered Cultural Materials Network: Working group on digital research methodologies for endangered ethnographic material of the Asia-Pacific region. The initiative aims to develop new synergies and improved methods to record, archive and give access to endangered cultural material by bringing together practitioners in information technology, field research and regional stakeholders. Through e-publication of our workshop results, the compilation of an online resource guide and provision of working metadata model for networked digital media archives, we will promote the best existing tools and approaches for analysis of media content and develop new tools and approaches as required for practical outcomes.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0453247
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$205,800.00
Summary
Digital archiving equipment for PARADISEC research archive of Asia-Pacific region audio recordings. The project develops equipment, systems and procedures for cross-institutional digital preservation and sharing of Australian researchers' field recordings of endangered languages and musics of the Asia-Pacific area. Despite diversity of content, common needs exist for future management of our primary research data, not only in migration from analogue to digital recording formats but also in devel ....Digital archiving equipment for PARADISEC research archive of Asia-Pacific region audio recordings. The project develops equipment, systems and procedures for cross-institutional digital preservation and sharing of Australian researchers' field recordings of endangered languages and musics of the Asia-Pacific area. Despite diversity of content, common needs exist for future management of our primary research data, not only in migration from analogue to digital recording formats but also in developing research applications of emerging technologies for digital media indexing, transcription and analysis, as well as content management and remote access protocols. The results will lay the groundwork for a future national facility for regional research recordings and pioneer methodologies for non-bibliographic research information infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Disciplinarity, knowledge and schooling: Analysing and improving integrated, cumulative learning in classrooms. For Australia to enhance its educational and professional standing, it needs growing levels of intellectual expertise and flexibility among school graduates, who now operate in workplaces that are rapidly evolving intellectually and technologically. This project will contribute to research, debate, and practice, by focusing on sustained integrated knowledge-building, but it also aims t ....Disciplinarity, knowledge and schooling: Analysing and improving integrated, cumulative learning in classrooms. For Australia to enhance its educational and professional standing, it needs growing levels of intellectual expertise and flexibility among school graduates, who now operate in workplaces that are rapidly evolving intellectually and technologically. This project will contribute to research, debate, and practice, by focusing on sustained integrated knowledge-building, but it also aims to offer practitioners and authorities an enhanced, locally-grown evidence for educational decisions, practice, and policy. While the motivations for the project are theoretical, professional, and methodological, they arise from a recognition of the economic and cultural importance of intellectually strong citizens in an increasingly demanding global setting.Read moreRead less
The status and conceptualisation of cultural knowledge in language-in-education policy for second/foreign language education. This project aims to develop a coherent understanding of approaches to issues of culture and interculturality in languages-in-education planning and policy for the teaching of second/foreign languages in Australia, Europe, North America and Asia. This will involve both a study of the ways in which culturally focused curriculum and content are included in language-in-educa ....The status and conceptualisation of cultural knowledge in language-in-education policy for second/foreign language education. This project aims to develop a coherent understanding of approaches to issues of culture and interculturality in languages-in-education planning and policy for the teaching of second/foreign languages in Australia, Europe, North America and Asia. This will involve both a study of the ways in which culturally focused curriculum and content are included in language-in-education plans and policies, and a study of the ways in which the cultural component of language education is conceptualised in such plans and policies. These studies will provide a basis for examining the consistency of treatment of culture in language-in-education planning and policy.Read moreRead less