Countering misrecognition of Indigenous contact languages and their ecologies in Australia

Abstract

The current Indigenous language landscape in Australia includes new Indigenous contact languages as well as traditional Indigenous languages and Englishes. Even though some new Indigenous contact languages are estimated to have the largest speakership of any Indigenous language currently spoken in Australia, speakers of contact languages do not have commensurate visibility in policy and service provision. They are 'misrecognised'. Through compiled publications, some collaborative, this thesis takes an interdisciplinary approach, using a range of methods, to present a contextualised analysis of the misrecognition of contemporary Indigenous contact languages in Australia.

This investigation of the minoritised positioning of Indigenous contact languages pays special attention to the problem of misrecognition. Where the languages used by speakers of contact languages are not recognised and responded to appropriately, other languages are assumed in their stead, or else their significant communicative role in their language community is misjudged. As misrecognition involves other languages, a typology of contemporary Indigenous language ecologies is developed as a place-based tool for conceptualising common language configurations, a legacy of colonisation. This typology represents different language ecologies according to the main language type spoken as a community vernacular in a specific place, whether it is a contact language, a traditional language or a variety of English. Establishing the typology allows us to show what is distinctive about contact language ecologies in contrast to the other types of language ecologies.

The on-the-ground dynamics of misrecognition are established in the thesis through case studies of contact language speaking areas. These make manifest the ramifications of (mis)recognition for effective policy and equitable services delivery for speakers of contact languages. From this grounded foundation, it is possible to explore the issue via linguistics, education or community perspectives. A compilation of published studies in each of these domains illuminates different facets of misrecognition. In four linguistics studies, this includes identifying and differentiating the contact languages, their particular forms and their histories and ecologies and describing previously unrecognised language features. In three education studies, this encompasses the manner and extent to which speakers of contact languages are identified and provided for in first and second language learning classroom contexts. Two studies about community connections showcase innovative ways of working with speakers of contact languages to promote recognition of their language and its situation.

This thesis makes three major contributions to the area of Indigenous languages and education. The first is the development of the typology of Indigenous language ecologies which has potential to assist with differentiating policies and service delivery needs for speakers of contact languages. Second, the thesis puts on the map the misrecognition of students with contact language backgrounds who are taught in mainstream English medium classrooms. This research identifies teacher awareness as a major issue. Third, the thesis introduces a co-designed process for creating vernacular language visualisations with a contact language speaking community. The goal of this process is an increase in contact language recognition and community language awareness, which has been reported observationally.

In sum, as an outsider researcher in Indigenous communities yet an insider teacher-linguist it is my hope to foster recognition and counter misrecognition of speakers of Indigenous contact languages and their ecologies. The benefits of this are expected to be a more consistent place for contact languages and their speakers in policy and delivery of services, including education. Show more