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
An investigation of meaning negotiation in electronic discourse. This project investigates the use of collaborative electronic exchanges between language students in Indonesian and Queensland schools to enhance language and inter-cultural development. The chief investigators will develop a new model of discourse appropriate to such asynchronous communication (e-mail and forums), as well as investigate developments in technological literacy. Other outcomes will include guidelines for creating pra ....An investigation of meaning negotiation in electronic discourse. This project investigates the use of collaborative electronic exchanges between language students in Indonesian and Queensland schools to enhance language and inter-cultural development. The chief investigators will develop a new model of discourse appropriate to such asynchronous communication (e-mail and forums), as well as investigate developments in technological literacy. Other outcomes will include guidelines for creating practical technology-mediated tasks, and protocols for establishing and maintaining electronic tandem exchanges with a developing country. Results will be reported to the Industry Partner and relevant educational authorities and published in national and international journals such as ARAL, Babel and CALL Journal.Read moreRead less
Bininj Gunwok Lexicography Project. This project will make a contribution to Aboriginal language maintenance and documentation via lexicography. Only about 20 of the original 200 or so Aboriginal languages remain viable. Bininj Gunwok is one of these languages. Very few dictionaries exist for Australian languages and for those languages such as Bininj Gunwok which linguists class as 'non-Pama-Nyungan', only a handful of dictionaries are available. The resulting Bininj Gunwok dictionary and cultu ....Bininj Gunwok Lexicography Project. This project will make a contribution to Aboriginal language maintenance and documentation via lexicography. Only about 20 of the original 200 or so Aboriginal languages remain viable. Bininj Gunwok is one of these languages. Very few dictionaries exist for Australian languages and for those languages such as Bininj Gunwok which linguists class as 'non-Pama-Nyungan', only a handful of dictionaries are available. The resulting Bininj Gunwok dictionary and cultural encyclopaedia will have applications for education, Aboriginal health, community development, land management and environmental science in Kakadu National Park and western Arnhem Land as well as applications for cross-cultural communication.Read moreRead less