The spread of gender-inclusive language reform in Outer-Circle Englishes: English in Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines. This examination aims to describe the adoption and spread of gender-inclusive language use in the Englishes in Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines and to compare this process to the one observed in 'native' Englishes (eg.Australian English). The comparative approach between 'native' and 'non-native' Englishes is innovative. Expected outcomes include significant progre ....The spread of gender-inclusive language reform in Outer-Circle Englishes: English in Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines. This examination aims to describe the adoption and spread of gender-inclusive language use in the Englishes in Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines and to compare this process to the one observed in 'native' Englishes (eg.Australian English). The comparative approach between 'native' and 'non-native' Englishes is innovative. Expected outcomes include significant progress in the study of planned language change, of English as a global language and language and gender identity. The study will have an impact on social policy development.Read moreRead less
Diagnosing cross-cultural communicative ability in English as a second language to improve language learning and social integration. This project benefits a number of stakeholders. Its main long-term benefit will be to second language learners of English in Australia, particularly migrants and international students, who are most in need of training in cross-cultural communication to facilitate their settlement in the Australian community. As a consequence, the project benefits Australia as a wh ....Diagnosing cross-cultural communicative ability in English as a second language to improve language learning and social integration. This project benefits a number of stakeholders. Its main long-term benefit will be to second language learners of English in Australia, particularly migrants and international students, who are most in need of training in cross-cultural communication to facilitate their settlement in the Australian community. As a consequence, the project benefits Australia as a whole by making migrants' skills more quickly and readily available to the labour market, and allowing them to contribute more fully to the community. The project outcomes can also be adapted for other languages and address the national research priority of safeguarding Australia by helping to enhance understanding of the region.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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Trauma memory and narrative structure in post-traumatic distress. The project enhances understanding of factors that maintain enduring distress and disability following traumatic experiences which have major social and financial costs to individuals, communities and to the nation. Better knowledge of these factors is central to improving early detection and refining prevention and early intervention for individuals and to help understand how communities can better manage their response to sever ....Trauma memory and narrative structure in post-traumatic distress. The project enhances understanding of factors that maintain enduring distress and disability following traumatic experiences which have major social and financial costs to individuals, communities and to the nation. Better knowledge of these factors is central to improving early detection and refining prevention and early intervention for individuals and to help understand how communities can better manage their response to severe traumatic events. The results may lead to significant refinements to efficacious psychological treatments involving exposure to emotional memories. The project's innovative approach to studying autobiographical memories will enhance Australia's internationally competitiveness in a key area within psychology.Read moreRead less
Tackling the issues of low numbers of Australia's advanced users of Japanese: Reasons and strategies. A sound relationship between Australia and Japan is critical to Australia. Their key relations in trade, foreign policy and cultural exchange require an advanced understanding of Japanese. However, Australia is not producing sufficient numbers of advanced users of Japanese. This project creates and implements strategies to develop more Australian learners into advanced users of Japanese, thus c ....Tackling the issues of low numbers of Australia's advanced users of Japanese: Reasons and strategies. A sound relationship between Australia and Japan is critical to Australia. Their key relations in trade, foreign policy and cultural exchange require an advanced understanding of Japanese. However, Australia is not producing sufficient numbers of advanced users of Japanese. This project creates and implements strategies to develop more Australian learners into advanced users of Japanese, thus contributing to Australia's knowledge base in language education and applied linguistics. The PhD project will train a well-rounded Australian applied/educational linguist, equipping them with in-depth knowledge of current learners as well as fundamental research tools in both quantitative and qualitative analysis. Read moreRead less
Success and failure in second language learning (SLL). Why do some people succeed in learning a second language to very high levels and others fail miserably despite the fact that both groups may have set out with similarly positive attitudes and high levels of motivation? This research project focuses on the social contexts in which second language learning takes place. It aims to provide an insider account of what it is like to be a successful or unsuccessful L2 user. It will describe the ling ....Success and failure in second language learning (SLL). Why do some people succeed in learning a second language to very high levels and others fail miserably despite the fact that both groups may have set out with similarly positive attitudes and high levels of motivation? This research project focuses on the social contexts in which second language learning takes place. It aims to provide an insider account of what it is like to be a successful or unsuccessful L2 user. It will describe the linguistic and discursive resources language learners have access to, and the ways in which such access is structured in the communities they participate in.Read moreRead less
Community languages in early 21st Century Australia. Drawing on the 2001 and earlier censuses, three in-depth studies and a survey of community institutions, this project will provide an up-to-date assessment of the use and maintenance levels of a range of community languages and of Australia's changing language demography. It will test models of language maintenance/shift and the impact of census question changes on the calculation of language shift. It will contribute to the international lite ....Community languages in early 21st Century Australia. Drawing on the 2001 and earlier censuses, three in-depth studies and a survey of community institutions, this project will provide an up-to-date assessment of the use and maintenance levels of a range of community languages and of Australia's changing language demography. It will test models of language maintenance/shift and the impact of census question changes on the calculation of language shift. It will contribute to the international literature in the field as well as to a greater understanding of our own community. The latter will allow an informed approach to Australian language policy issues in the early twenty-first century.Read moreRead less
The status and conceptualisation of cultural knowledge in language-in-education policy for second/foreign language education. This project aims to develop a coherent understanding of approaches to issues of culture and interculturality in languages-in-education planning and policy for the teaching of second/foreign languages in Australia, Europe, North America and Asia. This will involve both a study of the ways in which culturally focused curriculum and content are included in language-in-educa ....The status and conceptualisation of cultural knowledge in language-in-education policy for second/foreign language education. This project aims to develop a coherent understanding of approaches to issues of culture and interculturality in languages-in-education planning and policy for the teaching of second/foreign languages in Australia, Europe, North America and Asia. This will involve both a study of the ways in which culturally focused curriculum and content are included in language-in-education plans and policies, and a study of the ways in which the cultural component of language education is conceptualised in such plans and policies. These studies will provide a basis for examining the consistency of treatment of culture in language-in-education planning and policy.Read moreRead less
Aboriginal-English speaking students' (mis)understanding of school literacy materials in Australian English. Aboriginal students have a right to quality education that gives them skills for full participation in Australian society. However, in the past the education system in Australia has largely failed to improve educational outcomes for Aboriginal students and has to a large extent failed to equip teachers of Aboriginal children with the relevant professional development that they need. This ....Aboriginal-English speaking students' (mis)understanding of school literacy materials in Australian English. Aboriginal students have a right to quality education that gives them skills for full participation in Australian society. However, in the past the education system in Australia has largely failed to improve educational outcomes for Aboriginal students and has to a large extent failed to equip teachers of Aboriginal children with the relevant professional development that they need. This project will directly focus on this issue of highest national priority and will make an attempt to explore Aboriginal-English speaking students' understanding of school materials. The results will be used in Aboriginal teacher education.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