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
Key indicators of development in adolescent writing. The project aims to identify significant indicators of development in the writing of adolescents at various stages of secondary education. There are a number of students who struggle with the demands of secondary schooling because they have not developed control over the more abstract, technical, and metaphorical language required in written assignments and examinations. This study will map the development of those linguistic resources critica ....Key indicators of development in adolescent writing. The project aims to identify significant indicators of development in the writing of adolescents at various stages of secondary education. There are a number of students who struggle with the demands of secondary schooling because they have not developed control over the more abstract, technical, and metaphorical language required in written assignments and examinations. This study will map the development of those linguistic resources critical to success in secondary learning, drawing on and extending Halliday's functional theory of language. An understanding of typical patterns of development will enable teachers to productively intervene in those cases where students' academic progress is impeded.
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Phonological development in child speakers of mixed language. In Northern Territory Aboriginal communities where traditional languages are mostly spoken fluently by older people, the home language for many children is a kind of mixed language combining elements of traditional languages, Kriol and English. This project will document for the first time the sound system of this language, and investigate how children's background knowledge of this sound system prepares them to learn words in English ....Phonological development in child speakers of mixed language. In Northern Territory Aboriginal communities where traditional languages are mostly spoken fluently by older people, the home language for many children is a kind of mixed language combining elements of traditional languages, Kriol and English. This project will document for the first time the sound system of this language, and investigate how children's background knowledge of this sound system prepares them to learn words in English and traditional languages. This information is important because it can help parents, teachers and speech pathologists assess and teach Aboriginal children from mixed language backgrounds.Read moreRead less
The linguistic use of space in Auslan (Australian Sign Language): semantic roles and grammatical relations in three dimensions. Research into the structure of Auslan provides information for the production of assessment and teaching tools for practitioners to use in adult education settings (for second language learners of Auslan and Auslan interpreters) and in special education for signing deaf children. It will also serve as a basis for further research into the acquisition of grammatical use ....The linguistic use of space in Auslan (Australian Sign Language): semantic roles and grammatical relations in three dimensions. Research into the structure of Auslan provides information for the production of assessment and teaching tools for practitioners to use in adult education settings (for second language learners of Auslan and Auslan interpreters) and in special education for signing deaf children. It will also serve as a basis for further research into the acquisition of grammatical use of space by native signing deaf children. These outcomes will further benefit the deaf community, improving deaf people's access to education, health, government services and the employment sector.Read moreRead less
Unveiling the mystery of tone perception: How does native language prosody affect adults' perception of foreign tones? This project provides new knowledge about how humans perceive non-native lexical tone categories. The results of this large-scale cross-language study will indicate how native languages constrain human perception of non-native speech (consonants, vowels, intonation). These data will greatly facilitate the research in second language acquisition and teaching, speech perception mo ....Unveiling the mystery of tone perception: How does native language prosody affect adults' perception of foreign tones? This project provides new knowledge about how humans perceive non-native lexical tone categories. The results of this large-scale cross-language study will indicate how native languages constrain human perception of non-native speech (consonants, vowels, intonation). These data will greatly facilitate the research in second language acquisition and teaching, speech perception modeling including automatic speech recognition with tone languages, human speech processing. The findings will also be useful to clinical speech and hearing research for speech and hearing impaired persons, and commercial applications in foreign language teaching, and computer assisted language learning for language learners.Read moreRead less
New languages seen with new eyes: Evidence for the emergence of grammar in signed languages using new methodologies and technologies. This project will ensure that the education of signing deaf children and the scientific study of human language are based on descriptions of sign language vocabulary and grammar that are supported by empirical evidence from representative samples of naturalistic language. The knowledge is essential for developing assessment and teaching tools for deaf children, fo ....New languages seen with new eyes: Evidence for the emergence of grammar in signed languages using new methodologies and technologies. This project will ensure that the education of signing deaf children and the scientific study of human language are based on descriptions of sign language vocabulary and grammar that are supported by empirical evidence from representative samples of naturalistic language. The knowledge is essential for developing assessment and teaching tools for deaf children, for improving the training of sign language interpreters, and for understanding the results of research into human cognition and the processing of language-spoken, written or signed-in the brain. The internet accessible digital video corpus will be an important cultural archive, educational resource and scientific dataset for the on-going research.Read moreRead less
Postoccidental Englishes and Rap. This project examines the conjunction between new Englishes and rap music. Applied linguistic research on world Englishes has focused predominantly on newly emergent standardized national varieties, and thus has tended to overlook the changing oral codes in domains such as popular music. By looking at the global spread of rap in relationship to the global spread of English, this project has great significance for 1.Expanding our knowledge about the implications ....Postoccidental Englishes and Rap. This project examines the conjunction between new Englishes and rap music. Applied linguistic research on world Englishes has focused predominantly on newly emergent standardized national varieties, and thus has tended to overlook the changing oral codes in domains such as popular music. By looking at the global spread of rap in relationship to the global spread of English, this project has great significance for 1.Expanding our knowledge about the implications and processes of this spread; 2. Developing a model of postoccidental Englishes that goes beyond current frameworks; and 3. Creating educational materials that can engage with student interests and desires.Read moreRead less
When do gestures become linguistic? Understanding the gesture-language interface through a corpusbased study of pointing signs in signed languages. This project will use corpus-based and experimental studies to compare pointing signs in three sign languages with pointing gestures used by hearing non-signers in order to answer the question: What relationship do gestures have to language? It will help us understand how pointing works as part of a sign language system, and how it is used as co-spee ....When do gestures become linguistic? Understanding the gesture-language interface through a corpusbased study of pointing signs in signed languages. This project will use corpus-based and experimental studies to compare pointing signs in three sign languages with pointing gestures used by hearing non-signers in order to answer the question: What relationship do gestures have to language? It will help us understand how pointing works as part of a sign language system, and how it is used as co-speech gesture. Both spoken languages and sign languages make use of pointing, and thus it represents a unique case study for the investigation of the relationship between gesture and language. This project will provide a distinctive contribution to our knowledge about the relationship between language and other aspects of human communication. Read moreRead less
The meaning of 'OR' in logic and in human languages. This project investigates the role of logic in three typologically different languages: English, Japanese and Chinese. One national benefit will be in promoting intercultural awareness by establishing that human languages share 'core' logical properties. As Aboriginal poet Bill Neidjie (2005) put it: 'Language is different, like skin. Skin can be different, but blood same.' Understanding how human languages are logical will add new dimensions ....The meaning of 'OR' in logic and in human languages. This project investigates the role of logic in three typologically different languages: English, Japanese and Chinese. One national benefit will be in promoting intercultural awareness by establishing that human languages share 'core' logical properties. As Aboriginal poet Bill Neidjie (2005) put it: 'Language is different, like skin. Skin can be different, but blood same.' Understanding how human languages are logical will add new dimensions to research in Linguistics, Philosophy and Psychology. Another benefit is in the assessment of patient populations with impaired pragmatic skills (e.g., schizophrenia). Finally, collaborative links will be strengthened with our overseas neighbours, Japan and China. Read moreRead less
Preserving and reviving language and culture of Norfolk Island. The project will help revive the endangered Norfolk Island language, thereby strengthening the sense of identity of the Norfolk Islanders. It will help achieve greater visibility of the language through an exhibition, interpretive signage and production of educational resources. The training provided will open up employment opportunities in education and cultural tourism in a remote community.