Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T19:09:05.676Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

the Primacy of the Mother Tongue: Aboriginal literacy and Non-Standard English

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 July 2015

Margaret Zeegers ,
Wayne Muir  and
Zheng Lin
Margaret Zeegers
Affiliation:
School of Education, University of Ballarat, PO Box 663, Ballarat, Victoria, 3353 , Australia
Wayne Muir
Affiliation:
Koori Liaison Centre, University of Ballarat, PO Box 663, Ballarat, Victoria, 3353 , Australia
Zheng Lin
Affiliation:
School of Education, University of Ballarat, PO Box 663, Ballarat, Victoria, 3353 , Australia
Get access

Abstract

This article describes Indigenous Australian languages as having a history of pejoration dating from colonial times, which has masked the richness and complexity of mother tongues (and more recently developed kriols) of large numbers of Indigenous Australians.The paper rejects deficit theory representations of these languages as being inferior to imported dialects of English and explains how language issues embedded in teaching practices have served to restrict Indigenous Australian access to cultural capital most valued in modern socio-economic systems. We go on to describe ways in which alternative perspectives where acknowledgment of rich, complex and challenging features of Indigenous Australian languages may be used by educators as empowering resources for teacher education and teaching in schools. Our paper stresses the urgency of establishing frameworks for language success within which to develop other successful learning outcomes of Indigenous Australians.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education , Volume 32 , 2003 , pp. 51 - 60
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bensoussan, M. (1998). Schema effects in EFL reading comprehension. Journal of Research in Reading, 21(3), 213–227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Board of Studies. (2000). Curriculum and standards framework II: English. Carlton: Board of Studies.Google Scholar
Bourdieu, P. & Passeron, J.C. (1990). Reproduction in education, society and culture (Nice, R. Trans.). London: Sage.Google Scholar
Bowman, C., Pascoe, L., & Joy, T.. (1999). Literacy teaching and learning in a bilingual classroom. In Wignell, P. (Ed.). Double power: English literacy and Indigenous education (pp. 61–94). Melbourne: Language Australia.Google Scholar
Carrell, P.L. (1988). Three components of background knowledge in reading comprehension. Language Learning, 33, 183–207.Google Scholar
Christie, F.. (1987). Language education. Geelong: Deakin University.Google Scholar
Christie, F., & Mission, R. (1998). Framing the issues in literacy education. In Christie, F., & Mission, R. (Eds.), Literacy and schooling (pp. 1–17) New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Clay, M.M.. (1991a). Becoming literate: The construction of inner control. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.Google Scholar
Clay, M.M.. (1991b). Child development. In J. Flood, J., Jensen, J.M., Lapp, D. & Squire, J.R. (Eds.), Handbook of research on teaching the language arts (pp. 40–45). New York: Macmillan.Google Scholar
Clay, M.M.. (1993). An observation of early literacy achievement. Auckland: Heinemann.Google Scholar
Clay, M.M.. (1998). By different paths to common outcomes. York, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.Google Scholar
Department of Education, Employment and Training. (2001). Guidelinesfor managing cultural and linguistic diversity in schools. Melbourne: Department of Education Employment and Training.Google Scholar
Department of Employment, Education and Training. (n.d.). Langwij comes to school. Canberra: Department of Employment, Education and Training.Google Scholar
Eades, D.. (1992). Aboriginal English and the law. Brisbane: Queensland Law Society.Google Scholar
Education Victoria. (1997). Keys to life: Teaching reading in the early years: Early years literacy program. South Melbourne: Longman.Google Scholar
Farrell, K.. (1997). Bidialectalism and the potential educational status of Aboriginal English. In Harris, S. & Malin, M. (Eds.), Indigenous education: Historical, moral and practical tales (pp. 59–70). Darwin: Northern Territory University Press.Google Scholar
Fitzgerald, J. (1995). English-as-a-second-language learners’ cognitive reading processes: A review of research in the United States. Review of Educational Research, 65(2), 145–190.Google Scholar
Fromkin, V., Blair, D., & Collins, P. (2000). An introduction to language (4th ed.). Sydney: Harcourt.Google Scholar
Gergen, K.J.. (1994). Realities and relationships: Soundings in social construction. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Goodman, Y.M.. (1990a). Children’s knowledge about literacy development: An afterword. In Goodman, Y.M. (Ed.), How children construct literacy: Piagetian perspectives (pp. 115–123). Newark: International Reading Association.Google Scholar
Goodman, Y.M.. (1990b). Discovering children’s inventions of written language. In Goodman, Y.M. (Ed.), How children construct literacy: Piagetian perspectives (pp. 1–11). Newark: International Reading Association.Google Scholar
Goodman, Y.M., & Burke, C., with Sherman, B. (1980). Reading strategies: Focus on comprehension. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.Google Scholar
Halse, Y.M., & Robinson, A.M. (1990). Towards an appropriate pedagogy for Aboriginal children. In Craven, R. (Ed.), Teaching Aboriginal studies (pp. 199–229). St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin.Google Scholar
Heath, S.B. (1994). What no bedtime story means: Narrative skills at home and school. In J. Maybin, J. (Ed.), Language and literacy in social practice: A reader (pp. 73–95). Sydney: Department of Employment, Education and Training.Google Scholar
Johnston, E.. (1991). National report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody, Vol. 2. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service.Google Scholar
Johnston, R.R. (2001a). Children’s literature as a locus of literary practices. In Winch, G., Johnston, R.R., Holliday, M., Ljungdahl, L., & March, P. (Eds.), Literacy: Reading, writing, and children’s literature (pp. 362–371). South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Johnston, R.R. (2001b). Fairytales: A pervasive paradigm. In Winch, G., Johnston, R.R., Holliday, M., Ljungdahl, L., & March, P. (Eds.), Literacy: Reading, writing, and children’s literature (pp. 320–328). South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Johnston, R.R. (2001c). Aforum: Social issues, history, fantasy. In Winch, G., Johnston, R.R., Holliday, M., Ljungdahl, L., & March, P. (Eds.), Literacy: Reading, writing, and children’s literature (pp. 422–426). South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Johnston, R.R. (2001d). A locus for world community. In Winch, G., Johnston, R.R., Holliday, M., Ljungdahl, L., & March, P. (Eds.), Literacy: Reading, writing, and children’s literature (pp. 414–421). South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Jonas, B., Langton, M., & AIATSIS Staff. (1994). The little red, yellow and black (and green and blue and white) book: A short guide to Indigenous Australia. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.Google Scholar
Kaplan, R. (1966). Cultural thought patterns in intercultural education. Language Learning, 16(2), 1–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krashen, S.D.. (1987). Principles and practice of language acquisition. London: Prentice Hall International.Google Scholar
Lindstrom, L. 1990. Local knowledge systems and the South Pacific classroom. Papua New Guinea Journal of Education, 10(1), 5–17.Google Scholar
Luke, A. 1991. Literacies as social practices. English Education, October, 131–141.Google Scholar
Malinowski, B.. (1994). The problem of meaning in primitive languages. In Maybin, J. (Ed.), Language and literacy in social practice: A reader (pp. 1&10). Cleveden: Open University.Google Scholar
Nakata, M.. (1999). History, cultural diversity and English language teaching. In Wignell, P. (Ed.), Double power: English literacy and Indigenous education (pp. 5–21). Melbourne: Language Australia.Google Scholar
Nicholls, C.. (1994, February). Watch your language, eh? Paper presented to Teacher Education Staff while a Visiting Fellow in Aboriginal Education, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia.Google Scholar
Nodelman, P.. (Ed.). (1985). Touchstones: Reflections on the best in children’s literature (Vol. 1). West Lafayette, IN: Children’s Literature Association.Google Scholar
Rampton, M. 1990. Displacing the “native speaker”: Expertise, affiliation, and inheritance. ELT Journal, 44(2), 97–101.Google Scholar
Rose, D., Gray, B., & Cowey, W.. (1999). Scaffolding reading and writing for Indigenous children in school. In Wignell, P. (Ed.). Double power: English literacy and indigenous education (pp. 23–59). Melbourne: Language Australia.Google Scholar
Saxby, M.. (1997). Books in the life of a child: Bridges to literature and learning. Melbourne: Macmillan Education Australia.Google Scholar
Taplin, J. 1996. Writing across a general curriculum. EA Journal, 14(1), 8–9.Google Scholar
Tolkien, J.R.R.. (1980). In Egoff, S., Stubbs, G.T., & Ashley, L.F. (Eds.), Only connect: Readings in children’s literature. (2nd ed., pp. 111–120). New York, Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Torres, P., & Williams, M. (n.d.). The story of the crow. Broome: Magabala Books.Google Scholar
Tripcony, P. (2000). Englishes and literacies: Indigenous Australian contexts. TESOL in Context, 10(2), 8–14.Google Scholar
Wright, J. (2002). Apartheid, Australian style. Australian Universities Review, 45(1), 36–39.Google Scholar
Wright, J., & Burchell, D. (2002). The “Indigenous issue”: Introduction. Australian Universities Review, 45(1), 2–3.Google Scholar
Yunupingu, M.. (1999). Double power. In Wignell, P. (Ed.), Double power: English literacy and Indigenous education. (pp. 1–4). Melbourne: Language Australia.Google Scholar
Yunupingu, M.. (2000, September). Keynote address. Paper presented to ALARPM/PAR World Congress, University of Ballarat, Ballarat, Victoria.Google Scholar
Zeegers, M.. (1996). Let’s get critical: Observations on a non-literate text and context. Changing Education: A Journal for Teachers and Administrators, l(March), 22–24.Google Scholar
Zeegers, M., Muir, W., & Lin, Z. (2003, July). How may I marginalise thee? Let me count the ways: Indigenous Australians’ languages and English literacy. Paper presented at the IFTE Conference, Melbourne.Google Scholar