Are some languages better than others? It is important for the Australian community - speaking several hundred different indigenous and immigrant languages across the nation - to realise that each language has approximately (but not precisely) the same overall complexity as every other. One may have intricate word structure, while another has short words but elaborate rules for putting words together to make sentences. And, striding above 'political correctness', many people in Australia will be ....Are some languages better than others? It is important for the Australian community - speaking several hundred different indigenous and immigrant languages across the nation - to realise that each language has approximately (but not precisely) the same overall complexity as every other. One may have intricate word structure, while another has short words but elaborate rules for putting words together to make sentences. And, striding above 'political correctness', many people in Australia will be interested to know whether a certain language is a little more efficient than certain other languages for a particular purpose (for example, commercial business). Read moreRead less
Basic Linguistic Theory. The project is to write the first comprehensive monograph on basic linguistic theory, the theoretical model which underpins almost all grammatical descriptions and most work on typological universals of language (e.g. asking whether all languages have relative clauses, and how these differ between languages). Part 1 will focus on methodology, modes of argumentation and the components of a linguistic description, while Part 2 will profile grammatical categories and const ....Basic Linguistic Theory. The project is to write the first comprehensive monograph on basic linguistic theory, the theoretical model which underpins almost all grammatical descriptions and most work on typological universals of language (e.g. asking whether all languages have relative clauses, and how these differ between languages). Part 1 will focus on methodology, modes of argumentation and the components of a linguistic description, while Part 2 will profile grammatical categories and construction types (such as negation, interrogatives, causatives). This work will constitute both a major contribution to linguistic theory and also a practical manual for pursuing linguistic description and typological generalisations concerning the nature of human language.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120102017
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Typology of language use: quantitative investigations of discourse from endangered languages. This project investigates striking similarities in information management across under-studied, non-European languages with varying grammatical patterns. Employing an innovative quantitative methodology to the study of natural language usage, this is a foundational research project in the emergent field of text-based language typology.
A Typological Study of the Sound Systems of the New Guinea-Melanesia Area. This project aims to complete the first detailed cross-linguistic study of the sound systems of the New Guinea Melanesia area. More than one quarter of the world's languages are spoken in this region which remains very little known from a linguistics perspective. Results of this study should have important ramifications for our understanding of: (1) the nature of languages in the region, and of language in general (2) ph ....A Typological Study of the Sound Systems of the New Guinea-Melanesia Area. This project aims to complete the first detailed cross-linguistic study of the sound systems of the New Guinea Melanesia area. More than one quarter of the world's languages are spoken in this region which remains very little known from a linguistics perspective. Results of this study should have important ramifications for our understanding of: (1) the nature of languages in the region, and of language in general (2) phonological description and theory (3) phonological description and theory (4) linguistic diffusion and influence in an area that extends from Eastern Timor to Vanuatu and New Caledonia.Read moreRead less
Dialect variation in Javanese: an integrated historical-linguistic and typological analysis. Australia has the highest concentration outside Indonesia of researchers engaged in the study of Java and this project will strengthen Australia's position as the premier Anglophone centre of Javanese Studies world wide. This project will also enhance Australia's position as a leader of academic research in Australasia by highlighting Australia's positive contribution to the study of Indonesia's cultural ....Dialect variation in Javanese: an integrated historical-linguistic and typological analysis. Australia has the highest concentration outside Indonesia of researchers engaged in the study of Java and this project will strengthen Australia's position as the premier Anglophone centre of Javanese Studies world wide. This project will also enhance Australia's position as a leader of academic research in Australasia by highlighting Australia's positive contribution to the study of Indonesia's cultural history. International links will be strengthened through cooperation between scholars in Australia and Indonesia. Research results will feed into the teaching programs in Indonesian Studies at the University of Melbourne and will strengthen Indonesian Studies across Australia.Read moreRead less
Interpreting spoken Aboriginal English: the communicative role of intonation. This project will produce new knowledge about the ways Aboriginal English speakers use intonation (speech melody) to communicate meanings. This knowledge will improve our understanding of potential linguistic sources of miscommunication between speakers of Aboriginal English varieties and speakers of mainstream English. It will also contribute to an increased appreciation in Australia and abroad of the unique linguisti ....Interpreting spoken Aboriginal English: the communicative role of intonation. This project will produce new knowledge about the ways Aboriginal English speakers use intonation (speech melody) to communicate meanings. This knowledge will improve our understanding of potential linguistic sources of miscommunication between speakers of Aboriginal English varieties and speakers of mainstream English. It will also contribute to an increased appreciation in Australia and abroad of the unique linguistic structures of Aboriginal English, which are reflective of the continuity and maintenance of the distinct cultural perspectives of Aboriginal Australians. Read moreRead less
Social cognition and language - the design resources of grammatical diversity. This project will (a) improve Australia's capacity to interact and communicate with other cultures (b) promote advanced training and research (including 9 doctoral students) on the languages of our region (c) carry out extensive new research on 20 languages of the Pacific region, most of which represent gravely endangered cultural traditions (d) draw on the design solutions identified in these languages to develop ....Social cognition and language - the design resources of grammatical diversity. This project will (a) improve Australia's capacity to interact and communicate with other cultures (b) promote advanced training and research (including 9 doctoral students) on the languages of our region (c) carry out extensive new research on 20 languages of the Pacific region, most of which represent gravely endangered cultural traditions (d) draw on the design solutions identified in these languages to develop models appropriate to the social cognition element of human-computer and computer-computer interfacesRead moreRead less
A multifaceted study of Tangsa: a network of linguistic varieties in North East India. Our world's linguistic and cultural heritage, the product of human evolution, is being lost rapidly due to globalisation and modernisation. This project will record the linguistic diversity of the Tangsa people of North East India, thereby increasing our knowledge of an important regional neighbour and of our human society and history.