The measurement of primary traits in second language oral proficiency in second language acquisition research. The proposed research will help to inform high-quality learning outcomes for international ESL (English as a Second Language) students and students who study Japanese or Spanish as a second language in Australian universities. Improved effectiveness in current second language teaching pedagogy will result from a deeper understanding of the role that the key language traits (syntactic co ....The measurement of primary traits in second language oral proficiency in second language acquisition research. The proposed research will help to inform high-quality learning outcomes for international ESL (English as a Second Language) students and students who study Japanese or Spanish as a second language in Australian universities. Improved effectiveness in current second language teaching pedagogy will result from a deeper understanding of the role that the key language traits (syntactic complexity, lexical range, accuracy and fluency) play in the attainment of advanced proficiency. 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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Tense and topic in English as an Asian lingua franca. Using the Asian Corpus of English (ACE), this project will investigate linguistic features of 'Asian' English, how Asian multilinguals use English with each other and consider the implications of this for regional communication and English language teaching.
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
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
Monumental Shakespeare: a transcultural investigation of commemoration in 20th-century Australia and England. Shakespeare represents a key conduit of Anglo-Australian cultural definition. This first internationally collaborative investigation of the popular, political and scholarly influences at work in the desire to commemorate Shakespeare in the 20th century - beginning with the tercentenary of his death in 1916 - will produce new knowledge about the embedding of Shakespeare into English and A ....Monumental Shakespeare: a transcultural investigation of commemoration in 20th-century Australia and England. Shakespeare represents a key conduit of Anglo-Australian cultural definition. This first internationally collaborative investigation of the popular, political and scholarly influences at work in the desire to commemorate Shakespeare in the 20th century - beginning with the tercentenary of his death in 1916 - will produce new knowledge about the embedding of Shakespeare into English and Australian cultural foundations. This transcultural investigation of the ways in which very different memorials - the National Theatre (London) and Sydney's Shakespeare Place - emerged from debates over appropriate forms for memorialisation will provide new understandings of the reproduction of Shakespearean heritage across nations, hemispheres and cities.Read moreRead less