Week 5

Lesson 1

Australian Aboriginal English

Definitions to know

code switching
copula verbs
definite and indefinite articles
quantifiers (words that quantify)
pidgin
creole

Aboriginal English - features.ppt

Questions:

1) Why might it be derogatory to describe Aboriginal Australian English as 'pidgin English'?

2) Give a reason for the fact that literacy education for Aboriginal English speakers requires an understanding of Aboriginal English as its own legitimate variety of English.

3) What are the differences between 'light' and 'heavy' varieties of Aboriginal English?

4) What does 'regional variation' mean when considering the AAE lexicon?

5) Semantically, how do the words 'mother' and 'country' differ from the SAE meanings?

6) Explain two phonological features of AAE.

7) Summarise the grammatical features of AAE using linguistic metalanguage you understand.

8) In linguistics what is 'pragmatics'?

9) Explain some pragmatic differences between AAE and SAE.

Lexical-

AAE is often

Australians Together - Language and Terminology Guide

AT+Language+and+Terminology+Guide.pdf

Formal Language and Terminology Guide for Indigenous Affairs

Page 12:

What is the correct protocol for addressing “Area-Specific Names” in formal contexts and why would this be the case, in relation to your learning of Indigenous histories?

Page 13:

What is the correct protocol for mention of “blackfella/whitefella” for non-Indigenous individuals and why?

Page 15/16:

a) With reference to culture, what is appropriate to state in formal contexts and why?

b) How does the language play an important role in depicting Indigenous history?

Page 18:

Why is the lexeme ‘dreamtime’ problematic in formal contexts?

Page 19:

Why is the lexeme ‘settlement’ or ‘settlers’ considered taboo in formal contexts?

Page 22:

What is the semantic value and importance for an individual granted the title of ‘aunty’ or ‘uncle’?

Page 25 & 32

Make a list of 5 words/phrases that you should not use in formal contexts and state why you are not to use these lexemes.

Aboriginal English transcript.docx

Read the following transcript and annotate it for language features typical of AAE

omission of copula verb 'is'
H deletion / consonant deletion
non-standard use of past tense verb phrase 'been take' instead of 'took'
Lexical choices 'walkabout' 'Country'
Omission of indifinite article
'th' sound replaced with 'd' sound
omission of plural marker 's' on words following a quantifier
code-switching 'ngamana'

Lesson 2

10 ways Aboriginal Australians made English their ownAboriginal Australians have their own English with unique stories, words and expressions.

Read the article to the side and add to your list of features of Aboriginal English. Be sure to record multiple examples and explain each feature.

Watch this 10 minute clip explaining some common characteristics of Aboriginal English

Watch this clip and explain the semantics behind the following lexical choices:

Deadly

Skin

Totem

Watch this interview with Manual Pamkal and comment (using a quote to assist) on the AAE tendency to avoid copula verbs.

The skits below are about 25 years apart. Both utilise characters speaking AAE/AbE for comedic effect

What features do they rely on to distinguish AAE from SAE?
How do the skits differ in their attitudes towards Aboriginal English? What might this suggest about the change in attitudes towards AAE?
In what ways do they reinforce exisiting views of Aboriginal English? Have views changed that much?

TASK

Read through the materials below and any examples you may have come across in the media (Mr Flood has posted plenty on Classroom). Add examples to the table to the side, documenting general details about AAE and Aboriginal Languages, evidence recognising their validity and importance and evidence of them not being recognised.

AAE Quote collection template

The Representation of Aboriginal English in School Literacy Materials

Final Report May 2002

by Malcolm, Grote, Eggington & Sharifian (Edith Cowan University)

'Your mob just use good words to make your way seem right' - Gary - Yarnangu spokesman

What does this quotes suggest about SAE and the way it was (and probably still is) used in the education system?

'Australian education systems have, as a whole, had limited success in attempting to impart literacy in standard English to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. One measure of the magnitude of the problem is shown in the national figures relating student achievement at various levels to agreed benchmarks. It has been shown that the Year 3 benchmarks have been achieved by fewer than two thirds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, whereas they have been achieved by nearly 90% of the national school population overall.'

There are many variables which may be seen as having a bearing on this situation. This study is based on attention to one variable which, in the past has not been given a great deal of attention: the disparity between the way in which English is used by most Aboriginal people and the way in which English is embodied in the literacy materials used in schools.

Like any other people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a right to have their language recognized within society and education. This right has long been withheld from them in the Australian context, both with respect to Indigenous languages and with respect to the contact-derived languages Kriol, Torres Strait Creole and Aboriginal English. There is a long period of history during which Aboriginal languages were suppressed, leading to widespread language shift, and there is still reluctance at the political level to acknowledge that there is any place in Indigenous education for any linguistic variety other than Standard Australian English. It is a part of this mentality to assume that "submersion" in Standard Australian English is the best literacy education option for Aboriginal students. Accordingly their dialect is usually seen as an educational liability and their home language linguistic skills are rarely either acknowledged or even understood within the education system.

The materials which are used to help impart literacy to Aboriginal students have hitherto been subjected to no linguistic-based analysis, although there has been some concern for the avoidance of racial stereotyping and the introduction of a greater level of cultural inclusiveness. The motivation for this study derives from the concern that an essential element in inclusiveness is linguistic. Aboriginal students learn how they and their culture are evaluated not only in the overt judgments provided by teachers and texts, but also in the extent to which their culture is represented linguistically in the materials from which they are expected to learn. Are texts linguistically structured to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and to reflect the fact that, since 1788, two dialects of English have developed in the Australian setting, or do they effectively consign the Indigenous presence to oblivion by representing Australia as the domain of the English which, traditionally, has always excluded Aboriginal people?

'Aboriginal kids don't need to be fixed': How to listen and learn from Indigenous children in order to help themHere are the lessons we can learn from Dujuan Hoosan, a young Aboriginal boy, on how to change the education system.

'We're setting people up for failure': Experts call for more teacher training on Indigenous languageSince the early '90s Aboriginal English has been recognised as one of more than 160 official dialects of English but many people have never heard of it, including some of those who speak it.

What is Aboriginal English?Aboriginal English was recognised as an official dialect in the 1990s. The Drum takes a look at the push to recognise Aboriginal English in the education system.

ABC pronunciation guide does not accurately reflect the sounds of Indigenous languages. Here's how we can fix itABC language expert Tiger Webb explains proposed changes to help journalists and broadcasters to improve how they pronounce Indigenous words and place names.

The racist history behind the disappearance of Australia’s indigenous languagesAustralian languages did not simply fade away; they were actively silenced by governments, schools, and missions.

What's the Indigenous language of your local area?Indigenous languages have struggled to survive since the time of colonisation but they are persistently being restored. Here's how you can learn the local language in your region.

It’s no accident that Blak Australia has survived the pandemic so well. Survival is what we do | Melissa LucashenkoFirst we made it through the ice age. Then the catastrophe of British invasion. Whatever history has thrown at blackfellas we have endured

Accessing Standard English while still retaining indigenous languages.pdf

Contemporary examples of AAE

https://twitter.com/Briggs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBaGtnVgb48 - Note the Non-Standard plural forms of 'womans' by Aus of the Year Shirleen Campbell.
https://twitter.com/lidia__thorpe

Hear the West Coast Eagles club song sung in NoongarCelebrate the Eagles’ premiership with a sing-along

Bundjil, waang and walert — these bubups are learning them allLike "little sponges", children at a pre-school on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula are soaking up Boon Wurrung culture and knowledge tens of thousands of years old, in the hope they'll become "agents of change" for the future.

The West Australian newspaper apologises for racist comic stripA character in a comic strip published in Monday's newspaper used a racial slur to describe an Aboriginal character.

Not seeing anything above? Reauthenticate

Lesson 3

Standard Australian English

-Most prestigious variety in broader Australian society

-Most widely understood and recognised variety

-It provides overt norms that can be met to provide prestige and standing to users

-It is the primary variety used in public discourse

-Use in public and private institutions

-Taught in schools used in government, law, etc.

Definitions:

Standard Australian English (SAE)

1) The variety of spoken and written English language in Australia used in more formal settings such as for official or public purposes, and recorded in dictionaries, style guides and grammars. While it is always dynamic and evolving, it is recognised as the ‘common language’ of Australians. (Aus Curriculum website)

Australian English (AE)

2) Australian English is the standard language spoken in Australia. It is the language used by people who are born and raised in this country and also by those who immigrate during childhood or early adolescence. In addition to English, over 300 languages are spoken in Australia and more than 60,000 people speak an Australian indigenous language (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2016).

Among native-born Australians, at least three categories of English exist: Standard Australian English, varieties of Aboriginal English, and various ethnocultural Australian English dialects. Australian English functions as a significant and extremely powerful symbol of national identity. It is one of the well-known World Englishes and is a mature dialect with its own internal norms and standards. All Australian English dialect types significantly reflect Australian identity but, in addition, reveal the cultural affiliation of the speaker, whether Australian, Lebanese, Greek, Indigenous, Vietnamese or the myriad of other cultural choices available to Australians in the 21st century. The label ‘Australian English’ should be considered a term that embraces all of these various dialectal types. Such a modification to the traditional concept of Australian English will help capture the linguistic landscape of the changing Australian culture. Cox, F. and Palethorpe, S. (2010) Australian Voices, Macquarie University, Australian Voices

Q: What is the difference between SAE and AE according to these definitions?

The following excerpt is from the Australian Curriculum's website

The study of English is central to the learning and development of all young Australians. It helps create confident communicators, imaginative thinkers and informed citizens. It is through the study of English that individuals learn to analyse, understand, communicate and build relationships with others and with the world around them. The study of English plays a key role in the development of reading and literacy skills which help young people develop the knowledge and skills needed for education, training and the workplace. It helps them become ethical, thoughtful, informed and active members of society. In this light, it is clear that the Australian Curriculum: English plays an important part in developing the understanding, attitudes and capabilities of those who will take responsibility for Australia’s future.

Australia is a linguistically and culturally diverse country, with participation in many aspects of Australian life dependent on effective communication in Standard Australian English. In addition, proficiency in English is invaluable globally. The Australian Curriculum: English contributes to nation-building and to internationalisation.

How important is the study of SAE according to the Aus Curriculum's website? Explain your response quoting some language from the text.

The variety of spoken and written English language in Australia used in more formal settings such as for official or public purposes, and recorded in dictionaries, style guides and grammars. While it is always dynamic and evolving, it is recognised as the ‘common language’ of Australians. - (as defined by the Australian Curriculum)

What is SAE?

I have to remind people that the notion of standard is often used as a kind of gatekeeping to disadvantage certain groups in saying ‘You speak non-standard’. If you think about everyday average Australians and whether or not they speak Standard Australian English, what is this Standard Australian? Probably a lot of Australians, if you want to categorise their English used on an everyday basis, wouldn’t be speaking Standard Australian English, they would be using, again we’re talking about Australian English has got a lot of variation from again acrolect to basilect and from heavy to broad Australian. But the whole issue is that we have to be mindful that the notion of standard is something that could be used to the benefit of people, but could also be used to the detriment and to disadvantage people.As I said, a lot of people on a daily basis do not really use the Standard Australian English, so it’s not the case that Aboriginal English-speaking children speak Aboriginal English and the rest of the Australian society speaks Australian English. In fact, in a lot of cases we talk about how the notion of standard is politically motivated.In some countries, standard is associated with the prestige and the social class. In some countries, the standard is associated with a geographical area, so people from the capital are said to be speaking the standard. In many cases, the notion of standard really is not determined by linguistic factors but by non-linguistic factors, as I said, political, geographic and all sorts, or level of education, so all sorts of non-linguistic criteria are used to determine who speaks a standard, so-called standard, variety of language. And we need, I think, as educators, we need to keep in mind that our notion, the use of the notion of standard should not necessarily be in a way to disadvantage people speaking in a particular way.At the end of the day, we speak the way we’ve been brought up to speak and appropriate to the context in which we have been brought up.In some countries standard is associated with prestige and social class. In other countries it may be associated with a geographical area such as the dialect spoken in the capital city. In either case, the notion of standard should not be used to disadvantage anyone.

What's the difference between SAE and AAE?

Obviously, in those areas where Aboriginal English sounds more like ancestral Aboriginal languages, it’s easy to identify the variety through its sound system. But when it comes to more urban areas and where Aboriginal English-speakers sound more like speaking Australian English, it’s a bit more challenging to identify those features.Still, there are features, for example, syntactic features, for example, ‘he’ and ‘she’ might just be used as ‘e’, one pronoun, syntactic grammatical variation, past tense might not be marked systematically, so the person says ‘I go yesterday’ instead of 'Iwent yesterday'. But of course, again depending on the context, these features vary. Semantics and lexicon is another important area. For example, some Aboriginal English words have different meanings from Australian English words. In some varieties of Aboriginal English, ‘deadly’ means ‘great’. The word ‘horse’ means ‘smart’. ‘Shake’ may mean ‘stealing’. ‘Kill’ might mean ‘hit’. So this is the area of semantics where Aboriginal English words may have either different meanings or added meanings, sometimes they have several meanings.The use of some features such as the use of ‘unna’ at the end of a statement, might have several meanings, such as ‘isn’t it?’, or it can be used to emphasise something. Pragmatic features is another area where it’s not so much obvious that the person is speaking a different variety of English, and that’s where, for example, the person might ask a question and you understand the question in a different way. When someone says ‘Have you got the time?’, of course, you know the time. You can simply say ‘yes’ and walk away but you understand it to mean ‘Can you give me, can you tell me what time it is?’ This is the area of pragmatics and this is where a lot of differences exist between Aboriginal English and Australian English. For example, simply someone saying ‘I’m going to lunch’ could mean an invitation and this is really where a lot of misunderstandings have happened in the past.But one of the most, in terms of the areas of research that we have done, one of the most important areas of subtlety in terms of the difference between Australian English and Aboriginal English when it comes to more urban areas is the conceptual level, and our research has shown that there are a lot of differences in terms of the underlying concepts and conceptualisations, which I will be elaborating on a bit more later.All students come to school speaking the language they have been brought up with. This may be a completely different language, or a different variety of English. Whether it is a different language or a different dialect, it is not wrong, it is just different. Many people who use Australian English in a work context continue to use their home language or dialect with family and friends.Aboriginal English speakers decide on which dialect to use depending on their message and who they are talking to.

AAE speakers decide which dialect to use

As a journo, it’s my job to write and present stories using Standard Australian English. But when I’m yarning with my family or with my mates, like my colleague Narelle Thorne down in Bunbury, I don’t talk using Standard Australian English. I use Aboriginal English.Imagine if we were able to read the news using home talk.‘Ay ya you mob, big fire was in town t’day.They called 30 firefighters to pud id out.After the big fire, there big storm.It’s comin in da town, you fellas bedder move out or ya get blown away!!!’For those of you who aren’t familiar with Aboriginal English, that might’ve sounded ‘funny’ or even ‘wrong’. Some people even dismiss it as just an inferior way of speaking. But for us, it’s the way we’ve grown up learning to speak. It’s normal. It’s not right or wrong, it’s just the way it is.

Questions:

Where do we see the authority and power of SAE on display in our society?
Read your allocated article, and add quotes/details to the table on the side:

Attitudes & Examples of Varieties of Australian English

'Ticking time bombs': top Australian universities lower English standardsTop Australian universities are using backdoor entry programs to lower English standards for overseas enrolments, a new report has found.

IT students didn't know how to use a computer: What happens when unis waive standardsInternational students are being granted visas without meeting the Immigration Department's own requirements because some universities have been lowering English standards.

'Alarm bells': Australian students record worst result in global testsAustralian students have failed for the first time to exceed the OECD average in maths, while NSW recorded the country's biggest drops in reading and science.

https://twitter.com/egm974/status/1357237057358340096

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizenship-subsite/files/our-common-bond-testable.pdf (

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/aug/28/australias-english-language-program-for-migrants-set-for-overhaul-amid-concerns-over-its-effectiveness

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-08/500-hours-of-english-classes-required-under-partner-visa-changes/12741714

https://twitter.com/alantudgemp/status/1314126114835427328?lang=en

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