Aboriginal English and the language police

The language police will insist that we should only care about 'authentic' or 'good' languages when -- in reality -- all languages are equally worthy of our attention. Australian Aboriginal English, spoken by an estimated 80% of Aboriginal Australians and the first and only language for many Aboriginal children, is frequently described as ‘rubbish’ or ‘broken’. Such negative attitudes can have devastating consequences for Aboriginal children in the mainstream educational system who may question, "If my language is ‘rubbish’, am I too?” Let’s raise the bar to discuss, challenge and re-invent how we relate to language ideologies. The language police will insist the language you speak is substandard. It is most definitely not.

Bio

Ms Glenys Collard and Dr Celeste Rodriguez Louro have a common interest in two-way, cross-cultural research and storytelling. From the start of their collaboration, it became clear that the vernacular data needed for their project would only be secured in a culturally safe manner under Glenys’ leadership and through the use of yarning, an Indigenous cultural form of storytelling and conversation. 

Event

7:00 pm @The Globe, 495/497 Wellington St, Perth

Also speaking at this location at 5:30 pm is Dr Dawn Bessarab