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
Sociolinguistic variation in Australian Sign Language (Auslan): Theoretical and applied dimensions. The sign language of the Australian deaf community, Auslan, exhibits significant sociolinguistic variation in its vocabulary and grammar. This project aims to collect linguistic data from a range of deaf signers controlled for gender, age, region, class and social networks, using a recently developed draft sign language assessment instrument. The results will contribute to our theoretical understa ....Sociolinguistic variation in Australian Sign Language (Auslan): Theoretical and applied dimensions. The sign language of the Australian deaf community, Auslan, exhibits significant sociolinguistic variation in its vocabulary and grammar. This project aims to collect linguistic data from a range of deaf signers controlled for gender, age, region, class and social networks, using a recently developed draft sign language assessment instrument. The results will contribute to our theoretical understanding of sociolinguistic variation in the language and will also meet the pressing need for the development of valid and reliable tools for the assessment of grammatical skills in Auslan.Read moreRead less
Speaking Hmong in diaspora: language contact, resilience, and change. The project aims to investigate the how the Hmong language survives in the diaspora, with special focus on how the language transforms itself depending on the environment it finds itself in. We focus on the structure and maintenance of Hmong within the immigrant community in North Queensland across several generations of speakers, within the context of multilingual repertoires involving Australian English and Lao. The outcomes ....Speaking Hmong in diaspora: language contact, resilience, and change. The project aims to investigate the how the Hmong language survives in the diaspora, with special focus on how the language transforms itself depending on the environment it finds itself in. We focus on the structure and maintenance of Hmong within the immigrant community in North Queensland across several generations of speakers, within the context of multilingual repertoires involving Australian English and Lao. The outcomes will reveal the processes and results of language change such as the emergence of a new blend of Green and White Hmong. The project will provide significant benefits for the maintenance of diasporic Hmong within a larger context of multilingual immigrant communities.Read moreRead less
Assessing the intercultural in language learning. The implementation of Intercultural Language Learning (ICLL) is a priority in policy for the Commonwealth and States and is important in developing better understanding of people fro different cultures and countries. A key problem is the development of assessment models. This project is a first investigation of the process and theory of task-based assessment in ICLL and of the process of judgement in assessing languages and interculturality. The ....Assessing the intercultural in language learning. The implementation of Intercultural Language Learning (ICLL) is a priority in policy for the Commonwealth and States and is important in developing better understanding of people fro different cultures and countries. A key problem is the development of assessment models. This project is a first investigation of the process and theory of task-based assessment in ICLL and of the process of judgement in assessing languages and interculturality. The project will contribute to the quality of languages education nationally by enhancing languages teaching and learning and especially the contribution of languages learning to understanding, respecting and engaging with linguistic and cultural diversity, both in Australia and globally.Read moreRead less
Connecting younger second language learners and older bilinguals: Intergenerational, intercultural encounters and second language development. This project brings together upper secondary school learners of Chinese, German or Spanish and older speakers of the language, promoting mutually beneficial inter-cultural, intergenerational encounters. Valuable community language resources will be tapped to motivate and enhance the second language learning for the social, cultural and economic benefits. ....Connecting younger second language learners and older bilinguals: Intergenerational, intercultural encounters and second language development. This project brings together upper secondary school learners of Chinese, German or Spanish and older speakers of the language, promoting mutually beneficial inter-cultural, intergenerational encounters. Valuable community language resources will be tapped to motivate and enhance the second language learning for the social, cultural and economic benefits. The model promises to make senior secondary second language learning more effective. Australia's social fabric will be enhanced by interactions between cultures and between generations. The project addresses two important goals of the research Priority II --- It is strengthening the Australian social and economic fabric and ageing well, ageing productively.Read moreRead less
Deafblind communication: Building professional competencies . This project aims to improve the quality of interpreting/support services provided to deafblind Australians by analysing the communication strategies used by deafblind sign language users. Many deafblind people use a modified form of Auslan (Australian Sign Language) to communicate, yet little is known about how interpreters or support workers should adapt their signing when working with deafblind clients to ensure effective communica ....Deafblind communication: Building professional competencies . This project aims to improve the quality of interpreting/support services provided to deafblind Australians by analysing the communication strategies used by deafblind sign language users. Many deafblind people use a modified form of Auslan (Australian Sign Language) to communicate, yet little is known about how interpreters or support workers should adapt their signing when working with deafblind clients to ensure effective communication. This project would develop evidence-based training and resources for these professionals. This should provide significant benefits such as improved communication between deafblind clients and professionals, and enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of support service provision for deafblind people.Read moreRead less
Towards improved quality of written patient records: language proficiency standards for non-native speaking health professionals. This project will focus on the quality and safety of healthcare in Australia by improving the screening of written communication of overseas trained non-native English speaking health professionals. This project will be achieved by investigating writing practices in hospitals and by setting more profession-oriented standards on the Occupational English Test.
Meeting point: integrating Aboriginal and linguistics knowledge systems for description of contemporary revival languages in Australia. Past policies of assimilation have been extremely detrimental to the Aboriginal languages of many parts of Australia. As part of the process of healing from this past, many Aboriginal communities are moving to revive their languages. This research will support communities by developing an accessible and theoretically robust model of language revival which emerge ....Meeting point: integrating Aboriginal and linguistics knowledge systems for description of contemporary revival languages in Australia. Past policies of assimilation have been extremely detrimental to the Aboriginal languages of many parts of Australia. As part of the process of healing from this past, many Aboriginal communities are moving to revive their languages. This research will support communities by developing an accessible and theoretically robust model of language revival which emerges from their own as well as academic approaches to the subject. Practical outcomes will include clearer, more extensive and rigorous information available to Aboriginal communities and the linguists who work with them, and recommendations for optimal pathways for language revival which respond to the priorities and directions of the communities concerned.Read moreRead less
Bridging the theory-practice gap in the teaching of sign languages. This project aims to improve our understanding of how to teach sign languages to adults as second and additional languages. Internationally, there is significant demand for sign language classes, but relatively little is known about the processes involved when hearing adults learn a sign language, or the similarities and differences to second language learning of spoken languages. This project aims to develop and test the effica ....Bridging the theory-practice gap in the teaching of sign languages. This project aims to improve our understanding of how to teach sign languages to adults as second and additional languages. Internationally, there is significant demand for sign language classes, but relatively little is known about the processes involved when hearing adults learn a sign language, or the similarities and differences to second language learning of spoken languages. This project aims to develop and test the efficacy of a range of innovative teaching materials and approaches, as well as create the first standardised Australian Sign Language (Auslan) test for adults. It aims to significantly improve the quality of Auslan teaching at the partner institution and provide a model of best practice internationally.Read moreRead less
Clearing the path towards literacy and numeracy: language for learning in Indigenous schooling. The Australian and State Governments are committed to halving the gap between Indigenous and other Australians, notably in education outcomes. This project will provide a platform for a better understanding of how language is used in Indigenous classrooms, and set foundations for improving practices for teaching these students, in particular for literacy and numeracy. The project will investigate how ....Clearing the path towards literacy and numeracy: language for learning in Indigenous schooling. The Australian and State Governments are committed to halving the gap between Indigenous and other Australians, notably in education outcomes. This project will provide a platform for a better understanding of how language is used in Indigenous classrooms, and set foundations for improving practices for teaching these students, in particular for literacy and numeracy. The project will investigate how children's language use differs from Standard Australian English. Where teachers are aware of such differences, and adapt their classroom communication styles, greater engagement from children can be expected. This will ultimately lead to improved retention rates and learning outcomes, giving Indigenous students a better start to life.Read moreRead less