Australian Schools To Recognize Aboriginal English
Aboriginal English should be recognized as a distinct dialect with speakers requiring the support given to those who speak English as a second language. In a submission to the 2020 Summit, a group of linguists based at Monash University in Melbourne has called for formal acknowledgment that many indigenous people, particularly those in remote communities, do not speak Australian English.
Researchers from the school of languages, cultures and linguistics argue that indigenous Australians operate in a bilingual world but are assumed to speak and understand standard English. The submission argues that formal recognition of Aboriginal English as a distinct dialect is required to overcome disadvantage and problems indigenous people have accessing services.
It recommends an investigation of the extent to which Australian and Aboriginal English are used in existing indigenous programs and services to determine how a lack of English affects access to the services.
search for : Aboriginal English
