Summary of 'Identity, translanguaging, linguicism and racism: the experience of Australian Aboriginal people living in a remote community'

Identity, Translanguaging, Linguicism and Racism: The Experience of Australian Aboriginal People

Research Overview

• Study involved eight adult Aboriginal people living in a remote community in northwest Australia.
• Data collected via informal interviews (yarning) and ongoing conversations, then transcribed into case studies.
• Focus: languages, attitudes about Aboriginality (particularly language use), and perceptions attributed to others.
• Term 'Aboriginal people' used as it's preferred by participants and common in Western Australia.
• Aboriginal people represent 2.5% of Australian population but face socio-economic disadvantage.

Linguicism and Education

• Low educational outcomes are symptomatic of cultural subjugation.
• Curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment are often not culturally inclusive.
• Lack of teacher awareness about linguistic diversity.
• Linguistic racism/linguicism: unequal power division based on language.
• Aboriginal students expected to conform to non-Aboriginal language norms.
• Language is crucial for cultural transmission, especially through oral traditions.
• Individuals are often multilingual, using dialects, creoles, and languages depending on the audience.

Linguistic Repertoire

• Most Aboriginal people use Aboriginal English (AE) as a lingua franca.
• AE has grammatical differences from Standard Australian English (SAE).
• 'Kriol' is commonly spoken in northern Australia; speakers often switch between Kriol and AE.
• Some speak traditional languages, but many have been lost since colonization.
• Speakers move between traditional languages, AE, and Kriol.
• Codeswitching is now described as translanguaging.
• Translanguaging: multilingual speakers fluidly use their linguistic repertoire as an integrated system.

Research Aims and Questions

• Investigate Aboriginal people’s perceptions of their languages, language use, and experiences with linguicism.
• Research Questions:
  • What perceptions do Australian Aboriginal people residing in remote locations hold about their languages and language use?
  • What attitudes do they attribute to others about these aspects of their linguistic repertoire?

Method

• Qualitative, interpretive research using 'Yarning' for data collection and case study development.
• Participants: Eight Aboriginal adults from a remote community in the Kimberley region, Western Australia.
• Data collection: Field notes and audio recordings from 'yarns'.
• Data analysis: Identification of key themes through iterative reading and comparison.

Findings

• Participants identified as bilingual/bidialectal, using SAE, AE, Kriol, and traditional languages.
• Language use is integral to their Aboriginal identity.
• Positive views on translanguaging within their community and workplace.
• Some felt 'shame' speaking SAE or Aboriginal language varieties.
• Experiences with linguicism and racism due to language use and skin color.

Identity

• Critical elements: sense of place and belonging to family/community.
• Language marks Aboriginal identity.
• Language closely aligned to culture.

Linguistic Repertoire

• Bilingualism/bidialectalism with traditional languages, Kriol, SAE, and AE.
• Language use depends on the audience.
• Varying comfort levels with different languages.
• SAE proficiency attributed to family, friends, and schooling.
• Fluid movement across codes (translanguaging).

Linguicism

• Varying perceptions of experiencing linguicism.
• Some recognized judgment based on non-Aboriginal ways of speaking.
• Judgement based on skin color within community.
• Understanding and resilience regarding linguicism.

Racism

• Difficult to separate linguicism and racism; related to skin color.
• Range of experiences with racism.
• Racism experienced both outside and within their communities.
• Languages participants use and how they appear physically influence how others react to them

Implications for Pedagogy and Future Research

• Need to consider linguistic background and language use of all students.
• Incorporate inclusive approaches linguistically and culturally.
• Adjust teaching for language and learning needs of Aboriginal learners.
• English as a second language/dialect approach is required.
• Increase teacher awareness of Aboriginal English and traditional languages.
• Support proficiency development in all languages within their linguistic repertoire.
• Support a translanguaging approach within the classroom (avoids deficit attributions, demonstrates linguistic abilities).
• Further research needed in multilingual assessment.