A longitudinal study of the interaction of home and school language in three Aboriginal communities. The importance of language skills cannot be underestimated, and contribute to 'a healthy start to life'. In multilingual Indigenous communities, children must negotiate the complexities of different languages used for different purposes. This project will provide detailed insights into how children manage differences between home and school language, the kinds of problems they encounter when the ....A longitudinal study of the interaction of home and school language in three Aboriginal communities. The importance of language skills cannot be underestimated, and contribute to 'a healthy start to life'. In multilingual Indigenous communities, children must negotiate the complexities of different languages used for different purposes. This project will provide detailed insights into how children manage differences between home and school language, the kinds of problems they encounter when they enter the school system, and how their languages develop over the first four crucial years of school which provide the foundation for the children's future education. Their ability to manage the language of school underpins their ability to lead successful and engaged lives as adults. Read moreRead less
Modelling micro-level language planning and intervention in regional Australian refugee communities. This project is the first empirically-based Australian study of motivation in immigrant communities' language maintenance and micro-level language planning. It addresses the linguistic, social and cultural issues of refugee settlement in Australia. It is in line with the Australian National Research Priority of 'Strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric' and 'help families and individu ....Modelling micro-level language planning and intervention in regional Australian refugee communities. This project is the first empirically-based Australian study of motivation in immigrant communities' language maintenance and micro-level language planning. It addresses the linguistic, social and cultural issues of refugee settlement in Australia. It is in line with the Australian National Research Priority of 'Strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric' and 'help families and individuals live healthy, productive lives'. The outcomes offer major practical benefits to improve resettlement services, develop informed language policies and indirectly better the social and mental well-being of refugees. Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR200200646
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$280,510.00
Summary
Understanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language ecologies. The project aims to advance understandings of Indigenous languages across Australia by investigating which languages are used where (‘language ecologies’), and how they impact on people's lives. With Indigenous co-researchers, the project plans to illuminate present and historical features of language ecologies. Its significance is in bridging a chasm between Indigenous people's understandings of languages, and a lack of goo ....Understanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language ecologies. The project aims to advance understandings of Indigenous languages across Australia by investigating which languages are used where (‘language ecologies’), and how they impact on people's lives. With Indigenous co-researchers, the project plans to illuminate present and historical features of language ecologies. Its significance is in bridging a chasm between Indigenous people's understandings of languages, and a lack of good data on this for policy-makers. Expected outcomes are better empirical data on language use and new methods for identifying language ecologies. Intended benefits include increased appreciation of the rich history of Indigenous language use, leading to new capacity for policy-makers to distinguish language ecologies.Read moreRead less
Grammars in contact. The project plans a significant contribution to the study of relationships between languages. It will advance our understanding of our region and the world, fostering cross-cultural communication, to overcome potential miscommunication resulting from different language backgrounds in multicultural and multilingual Australia. This project will enhance study of endangered languages, contributing to the preservation of cultural and linguistic diversity and fortifying the reputa ....Grammars in contact. The project plans a significant contribution to the study of relationships between languages. It will advance our understanding of our region and the world, fostering cross-cultural communication, to overcome potential miscommunication resulting from different language backgrounds in multicultural and multilingual Australia. This project will enhance study of endangered languages, contributing to the preservation of cultural and linguistic diversity and fortifying the reputation of Australia as a 'knowledge nation'. It will strengthen the training of young scholars, future leaders of the Australian linguistic scene, and offer technological and methodological advances for recording and managing data on language relationships.Read moreRead less
Speaking Greek in diaspora: language contact, survival, and maintenance. Australia is a highly multilingual and multicultural country, speaking several hundred different indigenous and immigrant languages across the nation. Greek is the second largest language spoken in Australia (the second largest country of Greek diaspora in the world). A systematic investigation of the Greek language spoken in Australia by various generations, and its comparison with Greek as spoken in critical locations in ....Speaking Greek in diaspora: language contact, survival, and maintenance. Australia is a highly multilingual and multicultural country, speaking several hundred different indigenous and immigrant languages across the nation. Greek is the second largest language spoken in Australia (the second largest country of Greek diaspora in the world). A systematic investigation of the Greek language spoken in Australia by various generations, and its comparison with Greek as spoken in critical locations in South America, will enhance cross-cultural understanding and communication within Australia and world-wide. The project will fortify the scientific and economic links with the European community already established by the National Centre for Hellenic Studies and Research, in terms of social and economic benefit.Read moreRead less
The world through the prism of language: a cross-linguistic view of genders, noun classes, and classifiers. Australia is one of the most multilingual and multicultural countries in the world, with several hundred indigenous and immigrant languages. Noun classification devices - ranging from gender systems in familiar Indo-European languages to numeral classifiers in Southeast Asian languages - offer a unique insight into people's categorisation of the world around them. In-depth knowledge of how ....The world through the prism of language: a cross-linguistic view of genders, noun classes, and classifiers. Australia is one of the most multilingual and multicultural countries in the world, with several hundred indigenous and immigrant languages. Noun classification devices - ranging from gender systems in familiar Indo-European languages to numeral classifiers in Southeast Asian languages - offer a unique insight into people's categorisation of the world around them. In-depth knowledge of how speakers of different languages classify objects around them will promote intercultural understanding within Australia and world-wide, allowing us to overcome potential miscommunications due to different language backgrounds, and advancing our understanding of the region and the world (within the National Priority 'Safeguarding Australia'). Read moreRead less
Development of mechanisms for understanding language contact and cross-cultural communication. The project will make a significant contribution to the cross-linguistic study of how languages affect each other, and change as a result of contact. The perspectives revealed will have application to the multicultural and multilingual immigrant situation in Australia, and contribute to overcoming potential miscommunications due to different language backgrounds, advancing our understanding of our regi ....Development of mechanisms for understanding language contact and cross-cultural communication. The project will make a significant contribution to the cross-linguistic study of how languages affect each other, and change as a result of contact. The perspectives revealed will have application to the multicultural and multilingual immigrant situation in Australia, and contribute to overcoming potential miscommunications due to different language backgrounds, advancing our understanding of our region and the world (a goal of the National Priority 'Safeguarding Australia'). The project offers technological advances for recording and managing data on language relationships, and will enhance the study of previously unknown endangered languages, thus contributing to the preservation of cultural and linguistic diversity.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100872
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$380,761.00
Summary
Aboriginal language evolution in urban contexts. This project aims to investigate how Aboriginal languages evolve in, and shape, Aboriginal engagement in cities. It will focus on Darwin-based speakers of Murrinhpatha, a language with unusually complex word structure. The expected outcome of this project is an understanding of linguistic complexity in an urban context.
Improving engagement in learning and transition to mainstream schooling for newly-arrived Sudanese youth in the middle years of schooling. The 'new wave' of Sudanese refugees (48.3% of 2003 intake) with disrupted educational and social/emotional backgrounds is currently challenging Australian schools' expertise and resources. Using frameworks that draw on cultural theory, identity and language, the study will explore the social capital needs (skills and capacities, and resource needs) of Sudanes ....Improving engagement in learning and transition to mainstream schooling for newly-arrived Sudanese youth in the middle years of schooling. The 'new wave' of Sudanese refugees (48.3% of 2003 intake) with disrupted educational and social/emotional backgrounds is currently challenging Australian schools' expertise and resources. Using frameworks that draw on cultural theory, identity and language, the study will explore the social capital needs (skills and capacities, and resource needs) of Sudanese middle-schooling students enabling successful, productive and engaged transition from their on-arrival program into mainstream secondary schooling. The resulting model and web-based materials will provide a framework for educating other groups likely to follow from Africa/elsewhere, and meet the National Priority Goal: strengthening Australia's social fabric.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170101406
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$352,019.00
Summary
Using anthropology of finance to study disaster relief. This project aims to broaden and re-theorise economic definitions of insurance through ethnographic methodologies and feminist studies of finance. Using responses to weather disasters and the financial products created to cover them, the project will explore cultural understandings of protection and damage through a Latin American case that foregrounds experimental and emerging adaptation. In doing so, the research expects to open new direc ....Using anthropology of finance to study disaster relief. This project aims to broaden and re-theorise economic definitions of insurance through ethnographic methodologies and feminist studies of finance. Using responses to weather disasters and the financial products created to cover them, the project will explore cultural understandings of protection and damage through a Latin American case that foregrounds experimental and emerging adaptation. In doing so, the research expects to open new directions in the anthropological study of poverty and contemporary capitalism, and provide working frameworks to understand how financial services can engage meaningfully with communities affected by ever more uncertain weather. This potentially benefits communities managing disaster relief, evidence-based policy development, and public understanding of social and economic protection.Read moreRead less