Sociolinguistic Research in the Centre
The main areas of research have been and are:
- Multilingualism in Australia
- Inter-cultural communication
- Sociolinguistic aspects of second language acquisition and bilingual education in schools
- Language policy in Australia
- English in Australia
The program of the recent workshop gives an indication of the breadth of research being conducted in the Centre.
Current and continuing projects in the Centre
Multilingualism in Australia
This includes large-scale census based and srnall-scale community and institution based studies (comparing language practices and maintenance/shift rates across and between languages), as well as comparative studies of community languages as used in Australia including grammatical change and switching patterns). One new project (in collaboration with the University of Melbourne) examines endangered Sudanese languages in Melbourne.
Connecting young second language learners and elderly bilinguals (German, Italian, Spanish) interconnectedness and social inclusion
This project, conducted in collaboration with MonRAS, focuses on the use of community language resources in second language acquisition. Specifically, it explores the learning and attitudinal gains of students, as well as the impact on older people's self-esteem and sense of belonging.
Communicating in English in our multicultural and globalised contexts
This project focuses on communicative styles in English as an international language, cultural variation in academic and professional discourse, as well as intercultural communication in the medical field, in the workplace, in business communication and in meetings.
Enhancing languages-in-education policies and improved practice in primary, secondary and tertiary programs
Research examines how cognitive benefits can best be achieved in practice. It includes studies of ethnic schools, language learning and online communication, students of different backgrounds, opportunities for second language learning and use in social and transactional networks, acquisition of academic English by international students, the language socialization of the second generation in the Australian academic context.
Dimensions of Australian English
This project explores variation and change in Australian English pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and communicative styles. It examines school, gender, generation, and ethnicity as factors. The data is based on Year 10 students (across ten Melbourne schools), their families and friends, as well as rural Australian English from a pilot sample of the Western District. Research includes (im)politeness in language, attitudes to language, the discourse of inclusion / exclusion and of sexuality.
Indigenous languages of Victoria - revival and reclamation
This is an ongoing linguistic analysis of early published and archival material for the Indigenous languages of Victoria. This material is currently being made available on the web for the public and for educational purposes.
We hope to embark on a project that examines the sociolinguistic profile of southeastern Melbourne, the area around Monash University and Melbourne's most linguistically and culturally diverse region.