Different Perspectives on Aboriginal Languages in Modern Australia

This sociology essay examines the diverse perspectives on Aboriginal languages in contemporary Australia, focusing on how these perspectives influence the understanding of language and its role in Aboriginal cultures. The essay begins by outlining the historical impact of British colonization on Aboriginal society, including language loss and cultural disruption, particularly in regions with high non-Aboriginal populations. It highlights the crucial role of language in maintaining Aboriginal beliefs, values, identity, and cultural unity. The essay then discusses the different types of Aboriginal languages, the decline in the number of languages spoken, and the ongoing efforts to preserve and revitalize these languages through government initiatives and support teams like the Indigenous Language Perspectives (ILP) team. The essay also explores the 'three-way strong' concept, which aims to support Aboriginal students in maintaining their home languages and cultures while learning English. The essay concludes by analyzing the impact of these initiatives on strengthening cultural understanding and bridging the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.

Running head: SOCIOLOGY
Sociology
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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How do different perspectives on Aboriginal languages in contemporary Australia lead to
different understandings of language (and its role in cultures)?
Almost all the aspects of the aboriginal society have directly been affected by the British
colonization. The aboriginal society has gone through the strong aggression. And it can be said
that the traditional aboriginal family life along with the supporting kinship structures structure
have imposed a highly disruptive impact, especially when it comes to areas with high non-
aboriginal density. According to the researchers, this is particularly event in Victoria, New South
Wales as well as Tasmania, where several groups have disappeared completely another have
been dislocated and no longer uses their own languages. Aboriginal beliefs, values, identity and
culture are developed as well as nurtured within the family (Cook 2016). The language plats
crucial role in order to keep the culture strong and ensure unity n the Aboriginal society. This
essay will focus on the various perspectives on aboriginal language in contemporary Australia
that has led to different understanding of the language.
This paragraph will be comprised of detailed discussion on different types of aboriginal
languages present in Australia. As per the United Nation General Assembly, more than 250
indigenous Australian languages along with 800 dialectical varieties were spoken in the nation
during the time of European settlement in the year 1788 (Amery 2016). However, urgently, only
13 traditional languages are still acquired by the children. However, still now approximately 100
more languages are used verbally to various degrees by the older generations (Pennycook 2017).
However these languages are high risk of being abolished as the older aboriginal generation pass
away.

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The aboriginal Australian language can be segregated into two major parts namely, the
Tasmanian Language and the western Torres Strait Language. Romaine (2017) has pointed out
that majority of the Australian Language belongs to the Pama-Nyungan family while the
remainder are classified as the non-Pama–Nungan which is term of convenience that does not
imply to the genealogical relationship. Rigney (2017) has pointed out some of the common
features of the Australian aboriginal languages. The Australian languages, maybe due to the
genetic unity has form a language area , known as ‘Sprachbund” in their terminology, where
much of their vocabulary along with phonological features are seen too be common. Another
common feature of a good number of aboriginal languages in Australia is that they display a so
called avoidance speech that includes terms that are registers used only in the presence of certain
lose relatives (Ushioda 2017). These registers are found to be sharing both phonology as well as
grammar of the standard language. However when it comes to the usage of the lexicon language,
it is highly restricted. Along with this, speech taboos are highly prevalent in Aboriginal culture
which has given birth to a good number of aboriginal sign language.
Freeman and Staley (2018) pointed out that there is no genetic connection of aboriginal
language with the non-Australian languages. The uniqueness can be pointed out to be the result
of geographic isolation. The non indigenous community is Australia is still sceptical when it
comes to the acceptance of the Aboriginal language. However, with the implementation of close
the gap policy long with other interventions taken by the Federal government of Australia,
support team, known as the indigenous language perspectives Team support (ILP) has been
formed and the member of team is to provide teaching as well as learning to Aboriginal and
Torres Strait islander students in Queensland state school. The chief aim of the support team is to
enhance the knowledge an perspective of the students about aboriginal language and thus ensure

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effective strengthening of the culture. A good number of Aboriginal tridents are found to be
communicating in two or more languages that includes traditional, Creole along with various
languages as well as dialects that are all different to Standard Australian English. At school these
students often get engaged in learning SAE as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D).
Indigenous EAL/D learners require explicit teaching approaches for building a language
foundation to ensure effective classroom learning (Hall 2017). Additional support may be needed
by them for ensuring equitably to access their age-appropriate curriculum. The Indigenous
Language perspective team is stipulated to build the capacity of the schools, teachers, regions as
well as communities for meeting the language leaning requirements of Indigenous EAL/D
students while they learn the curriculum with the help of SAE.
In this paragraph, how the understanding of the perspective of indigenous language enables
non indigenous students to strengthen their perception of cultural background has been
discussed. The department of education in Australia supports the Aboriginal and Torres strait
islander students to be 3 ways strong . This indicates that students are provided support to enjoy
as well as celebrate their home language as well as culture while undergoing the explicit
language teaching which is needed for achieving a strong outcome in their academic learning.
The three way strong concept includes three interventions to enhance the understanding of their
own language of culture namely, recognize, engage and support.
In this paragraph analysis of the impact of the first concept of the three ways strong the
indigenous students in Queensland possess rich as well as complex language backgrounds. There
language can be considered as more than just mean of communication but also possess highly
essential characteristics that are unique to communities as well as people along with their sense
of identity. In order to demonstrate equality, several aboriginal and Torres strait islander

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students studying in the Queensland state schools allow them to communicate in a school
aboriginal languages that is not the standard Australian English (SAE). Banham Karnon and
Lynch (2019) pointed out that a good number of indigenous students communicate in a language
that is a mixture of traditional and English language. However, some of the student possesses the
potential to communicate in traditional language. In order to ensure effective understanding, it is
highly crucial to provide support to the students for learning English as an additional language or
dialect in school. This will enable the Aboriginal and Torres islanders to communicate
effectively with the non indigenous community and thus bridge the gap with the help of
language. The IPL team works with schools as well as communities in order to celebrate
connection with a good variety of languages. This work is often being represented with the help
of series of vernacular language posters.
The second component of the three way strong concept includes “engage”. For responding
appropriately to the language learning needs of the students, it is highly crucial for the teachers
to identify the level of SAE language development of each of the students. This will enable
though educators to develop effective strategies to build on the same. For this, teachers can
assess the proficiency of the SAE with the help of using the Bandscales State Schools (Qld) for
English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) learners.
In order to provide assistance to schools for identifying the Indigenous EAL/D students
within the cohorts, the ILP team provides professional development of the teachers. Professional
development enables the same to develop the capacity to improvise the following aspects

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1. Developing a better understanding of the historical development as we as the chief
aspects of the languages as well as dialects which several aboriginal and Torres islander
students use as their first language
2. Developing enrolment processes at school in order for ientifying Indigenous EAL/D
students.
3. Developing respect as well as knowledge of the indigenous language in order to ensure
to develop language competence.
The Bandscale State Schools for English as an additional language is used in several Australian
schools in order to ensure that the educators are able to perform the following.
1. Mapping student proficiency in SAE
2. Monitoring the development of the student in SAE language over time (Singh 2018)
3. Plan for the learning support required for enabling indigenous EAL/D students for
accessing the curriculum across almost all the learning areas.
When it comes to the third aspect o the three way strong approach, it includes provision of
rights to all the Aboriginal as well as Torres islander students who possess the right to access
their traditional language as well as culture (Banham, Karnon and Lynch 2019).
The ILP team is planning to assist the schools for providing Aboriginal students and
Torres Strait Islander student’s access to their heritage with the help of development as well as
implementing Aboriginal language and Torres islander language programs.
In order to ensure an effective understating of the aboriginal language along with
strengthening the Aboriginal culture, the ILP team delivers training along with coordinating
language programs that are aligned to the Australian Curriculum Framework designed for the

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Aboriginal Languages as well as the Torres Strait Islander languages along with the 55 hours
brief course of the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority for the aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander languages.

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Reference List
Amery, R., 2016. Warraparna kaurna!: Reclaiming an Australian language. University of
Adelaide Press.
Banham, D., Karnon, J. and Lynch, J., 2019. Health related quality of life (HRQoL) among
Aboriginal South Australians: a perspective using survey-based health utility estimates. Health
and quality of life outcomes, 17(1), p.39.
Cook, V., 2016. Second language learning and language teaching. Routledge.
Freeman, L.A. and Staley, B., 2018. The positioning of Aboriginal students and their languages
within Australia’s education system: A human rights perspective. International journal of
speech-language pathology, 20(1), pp.174-181.
Hall, G., 2017. Exploring English language teaching: Language in action. Routledge.
Pennycook, A., 2017. The cultural politics of English as an international language. Routledge.
Rigney, L.I., 2017. Indigenist research and aboriginal Australia. In Indigenous Peoples' Wisdom
and Power (pp. 61-77). Routledge.
Romaine, S., 2017. The impact of language policy on endangered languages. In Democracy and
human rights in multicultural societies (pp. 217-236). Routledge.
Singh, R.A.J.D.E.E.P., 2018. Language change and directionality: A novel model for language
change in Persian and Iranian languages from the sociolinguistic perspective. KAAV
International journal of English, Literature, and linguistics, 5, pp.1-8.

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Ushioda, E., 2017. The impact of global English on motivation to learn other languages: Toward
an ideal multilingual self. The Modern Language Journal, 101(3), pp.469-482.