Hearing the future: supporting Indigenous linguistic diversity. This project aims to find new ways to support the extraordinary diversity of Indigenous languages spoken in Australia. In Arnhem Land the ability to understand but not speak a language is widespread and plays a crucial role supporting linguistic diversity. This ability, receptive multilingualism, will be examined using an innovative interdisciplinary methodology, generating new understandings about the relationship between multiling ....Hearing the future: supporting Indigenous linguistic diversity. This project aims to find new ways to support the extraordinary diversity of Indigenous languages spoken in Australia. In Arnhem Land the ability to understand but not speak a language is widespread and plays a crucial role supporting linguistic diversity. This ability, receptive multilingualism, will be examined using an innovative interdisciplinary methodology, generating new understandings about the relationship between multilingualism and linguistic diversity that are crucial to tackling the global decline in Indigenous languages. The findings will help communities, educators and policymakers develop new strategies to support Australia’s Indigenous languages which are vital to Indigenous health and wellbeing.Read moreRead less
Semantic categories: Exploring the history of the Baining languages of Island Melanesia. The project adds to our knowledge of the historical, linguistic and ethnic relationships within Island Melanesia, thus contributing directly to our understanding of the complexities of this region. This regional focus expands Australia's expertise in Melanesian research, and reaffirms Australia's leading position in this area. Such expertise attracts outstanding international students and researchers to Aust ....Semantic categories: Exploring the history of the Baining languages of Island Melanesia. The project adds to our knowledge of the historical, linguistic and ethnic relationships within Island Melanesia, thus contributing directly to our understanding of the complexities of this region. This regional focus expands Australia's expertise in Melanesian research, and reaffirms Australia's leading position in this area. Such expertise attracts outstanding international students and researchers to Australia, strengthens the Australian research community, and increases the international visibility of Australian-based research. Furthermore, studying semantic categories provides a unique insight into how speakers of different languages categorise the world around and within them, thereby facilitating intercultural understanding.Read moreRead less
Understanding the sounds of Australia's Indigenous languages. Our perception of sounds in a non-native language is strongly influenced by our native language background, yet knowledge of minority and endangered language sounds is almost entirely based on the perceptions of European and Asian language speakers. This project will provide the first large-scale acoustic analyses of Australia's Indigenous languages.
A fast comparative method for historical linguistics. Linguists are able to infer ancient histories of languages by a procedure known as the Comparative Method. Its results are used in related studies of human genetic and cultural change. However, the Comparative Method is a manual-only process and thus currently is a bottleneck for the science of unravelling the human past. This project aims to overcome this limitation and significantly accelerate linguistic discovery, by combining recent advan ....A fast comparative method for historical linguistics. Linguists are able to infer ancient histories of languages by a procedure known as the Comparative Method. Its results are used in related studies of human genetic and cultural change. However, the Comparative Method is a manual-only process and thus currently is a bottleneck for the science of unravelling the human past. This project aims to overcome this limitation and significantly accelerate linguistic discovery, by combining recent advances in computational language processing, statistics and cultural-evolutionary modelling. By producing innovative mathematical means for rapidly discovering ancient language relationships, it will enable a breakthrough in our capacity to uncover human linguistic, genetic and cultural heritage worldwide.Read moreRead less
Understanding bilingual language acquisition in northern Indigenous Australia: phonological, lexical, orthographic, and family factors. Children's language outcomes are critical for health, social inclusion, education and employment. In northern Australia many Indigenous children grow up as Kriol/English bilinguals in disadvantaged communities; this research will establish the linguistic, educational, and family factors in successful language acquisition for these children.
Tracking language development of Indigenous children in Central Australia. This project aims to identify language development paths of Indigenous children in Central Australia by examining the spoken language, gesture and sign of children’s early interactions. It expects to generate new knowledge for the health and education sector, and Indigenous families, about children’s language development, enabling reliable identification of typical development. Expected outcomes include theoretical contri ....Tracking language development of Indigenous children in Central Australia. This project aims to identify language development paths of Indigenous children in Central Australia by examining the spoken language, gesture and sign of children’s early interactions. It expects to generate new knowledge for the health and education sector, and Indigenous families, about children’s language development, enabling reliable identification of typical development. Expected outcomes include theoretical contributions to language and cognition internationally and uptake of the findings by Australian health and education sector staff and Indigenous communities. This should provide significant benefits to Indigenous families through increased capacity of families and professionals to identify service needs in language development.Read moreRead less
Understanding human history in Asia through linguistic analysis. This project aims to advance understanding of Australia's position in Asia and stimulate the research culture in linguistics. New research methodologies will advance knowledge and improve Australia's research skill base. Sharing expertise will strengthen institutional ties between Australia and its neighbours.
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.
Something old, something new: Indigenous languages since colonisation. This project aims to undertake an extensive survey of colonial language change in Australia. English has changed the linguistic landscape of Indigenous Australia profoundly. Of the 300 languages spoken at first contact, only 18 remain strong. In their place is a complex array of restructured varieties, Kriol dialects and fusions of traditional languages with English. The project aims to develop new methodologies for investiga ....Something old, something new: Indigenous languages since colonisation. This project aims to undertake an extensive survey of colonial language change in Australia. English has changed the linguistic landscape of Indigenous Australia profoundly. Of the 300 languages spoken at first contact, only 18 remain strong. In their place is a complex array of restructured varieties, Kriol dialects and fusions of traditional languages with English. The project aims to develop new methodologies for investigating and predicting the mechanisms of change across languages and generations of speakers. The expected outcomes of the project include recognising new ways of speaking and providing Indigenous communities with guiding principles for language revitalisation. This will place Australia at the forefront of studies of language change.Read moreRead less