Language as One of the Most Important Tools Used in Communication - Essay Example

An Overview of Multilingualism and Dialects in Australian Aboriginal Groups Name Institutional Affiliation Introduction Australia is undoubtedly one of the global leading countries regarding ethnic diversity in societies(Wigglesworth & Simpson, 2012). This trend is influenced by the fact that approximately one out of every four Australian residents were born outside Australia. Moreover, most of the citizens in this country are usually first or second generation Australians living as the descendants of the recently arrived refugees as well as migrants. Australian indigenous people, Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders commonly referred to as the First Australians lived in the entire country(Finders University). Ponsonnet (2011) adds that the Aboriginal people occupied the whole Australia while the Torres Strait Islanders inhabited the islands between Australia and Papua New Guinea. Today, this group of individuals is referred to as the Torres Strait. Australia had more than 500 different clan groups with unique languages and cultural beliefs. Currently, the indigenous people comprise of the 2.4 per cent of the total Australian population(Bhatia & Ritchie, 2012). Multilingualism and dialects are two interrelated terms that one should seek to understand their actual meaning before narrowing down to discuss them in the context of the Australian aboriginal people. Defining Multilingualism and Dialects Cox (2015) defines multilingualism as a term used to refer to the use of two or more languages. These numerous languages may be spoken by either an individual speaker or a given community of speakers. Currently, research indicates that the number of multilingual speakers is higher than the monolingual speakers when analyzing the global population(McLeod & Goldstein, 2012). Dialect refers to a particular type of language that is usually peculiar to a specified region or social group such as that of the aboriginals groups in Australia. Multilingualism in Australian Aboriginal Groups According to Central Land Council (2016), multilingualism is a standard feature in the Australia’s aboriginal groups. Talking or discussing issues related to linguistically homogeneous Indigenous Australia is always a complete misrepresentation. Historical researchers approximate that Australia would have hosted a minimum of 250 distinct languages with the exemption of dialects before 1788. These expectations were actively hindered by the settling of the first British colonists in Sydney in 1788. However, most of the Australian Indigenous groups consider language as a highly critical identity indicator. Kirkpatrick (2007) ascertains that the aboriginal people usually utilize language names more or less when compared to ethnic labels. This assertion regards the specific names for larger social groups existing above the family and the clan levels. Aboriginal people have a rich and long-lasting, broad scale multilingualism that, however, doesn’t hinder effective communication between different groups. Historical analysis reveals that the geographical separation saw numerous groups lack a chance to communicate with the rest (Wigglesworth & Simpson, 2012). For instance, Aboriginal people who acted as the representatives of groups in the far North lacked an opportunity to foster effective communication with the groups that lived in the Southern region. It was not difficult for people to walk from one area to the other with the aim of covering over 3000 km wide continent to communicate with others(Finders University). Additionally, such individuals couldn’t manage to move half the total distance of Australia to meet at Uluru/Ayers Rock for the purpose of communication. Ponsonnet (2011) asserts thatAborigines had interactive communication that helped them to participate in trade despite these challenges. As such, different aboriginals exchanged goods, rituals, services, skills, and spouses across vast regions. These initiatives were achieved efficiently through a variety of tactics such as physical movements and the use of intermediaries. This continuous exchange of goods and services between groups with their nearby neighbours helped to establish a little social network (Cox, 2015). These exchange networks played a critical role in the inception of multilingualism in Australia, both as a condition and as an outcome of the selling and buying of among the aboriginals(McLeod & Goldstein, 2012). The initiative of learning different languages is usually viewed as a natural process that takes place alongside the ordinary course of growing up and becoming a mature adult among Australian Indigenous people. According to Kirkpatrick (2007) Aboriginals encourage their children to begin by naturally learning his or her mother’s languages and that of the closest ascendants first. This process can help children learn more than three languages spoken by the aboriginals. Additional languages are acquired through marriage. This action occurs when people with different spoken languages of the Australian indigenous marry each other(Bhatia & Ritchie, 2012). Interaction with other groups in the course performing different rituals or various social exchanges can also introduce people to new languages. Central Land Council (2016) claims that the continuous exchange, learning and sharing information using different languages transforms communities into multilingualism community such as that demonstrated by the aboriginals. Multilingualism is also common in the Australian Aboriginals due to their comprehensive understanding of the importance of linguistic skills. These technical skills are significant when interacting socially with mature adults and come as a result of the interactions above(Bhatia & Ritchie, 2012). The idea that a child is usually responsible for listening to several languages spoken in his immediate environment is an effect of constant intermarriages between different linguistic groups (Cox, 2015). This intermarriage is undoubtedly the core element towards the achievement of the social exchange. Modern Linguistic Diversity in Australian-Aboriginal people Kirkpatrick (2007) adds that the contemporary situation regarding the contemporary language of the Australian Aboriginal people is unique from the foretold traditional configuration. Aboriginals have continuously recorded significant level in the disappearance of the original languages. The vamoose of the local and traditional language causes most of the speakers to start replacing them with the alternative neighbouring Aboriginal language used as a creole, lingua franca, or by English(Finders University). Cox (2015) estimates that only 145 languages of the 250 traditionally spoken Aboriginal languages are still used to certain extend. Most of the remaining languages are, however, endangered, with small numbers of speakers left. The number of languages that may still be considered to be healthy could reach 20. This assertion may be evidence in the case whereby those involved have more speakers and children are still learning them(McLeod & Goldstein, 2012). These continuous practices account for the inception of multilingualism. Analyzing the Most Widely Spoken Australian Aboriginal language Ponsonnet (2011) study indicates that Kriol is the most extensively spoken Australian Aboriginal language. Kriol refers to a locally based creole that has not only undergone adequate developments of different regions of the world. The manner in which the language diversified to cover different world regions such as those found on the Top End peninsula in the early twentieth century was unusual (Cox, 2015). According to Central Land Council (2016), there are more than 20, 000 numbers of this Kriol’s speakers who extend to the region of Kimberley. Additionally, Kriol appears to enjoy various recognition degrees among its speakers. Some of the Aboriginals regard Kriol as a variety of English whereby it is seen as a unique “pidgin,” or “broken English(Wigglesworth & Simpson, 2012).” According to Ponsonnet (2011) Some aboriginals have decided to adopt it as their official language in its right, with strong claims of their pride and affection for it. The increasing number of Kriol speakers and its dynamism makes Kriol a critical element of the Australian linguistic diversity. Kriol has undoubtedly evolved into one of the most influential component of contemporary Indigenous multilingualism among the Australian aboriginals. However, it is interesting to note that this language remains in the shade when viewed at the national level(Bhatia & Ritchie, 2012). The mainstream Australians has limited knowledge regarding Kriol in spite of their intense curiosity and interest levels. Most of the Australians have little knowledge regarding the Aboriginal languages such as Kriol, linguistic practices in Indigenous communities as well as linguistic diversity in overall(McLeod & Goldstein, 2012). However, it should be acknowledged that this relative ignorance isn’t so incredible in an Anglophone monolingual country such as Australia. However, the greatest challenge is that such levels of ignorance regarding people and the indigenous languages make it harder for the Australian Indigenous communities to not only maintain but also sustain their traditional multilingualism(Wigglesworth & Simpson, 2012). Dialects in Australian Aboriginal Groups Kirkpatrick (2007) avers that there are numerous language dialects spoken by Australian aboriginal communities despite the fact that Kriol is the most dominant one. Most of the Aboriginal children and adults that inhabit the Central part of Australia speak more than one Aboriginal language as their mother tongue. In most cases, these communities may or may not speak Standard Australian English (SAE). Central Land Council (2016) defines SAE as a typical form of English commonly taught in schools and predominantly used in the media. Some of the Aboriginal people use the Aboriginal English as their primary language. Aboriginal English is a non-Standard form of English that strictly follows its set of grammatical conventions, some of which usually originate from the Aboriginal languages(Finders University). This type of English is regarded to be incomprehensive as other forms of Aboriginal languages in a scenario whereby the listener is new audience regardless of many Aboriginal English terms being considered part of the broader lexicon. Cox (2015) adds that Kriol dialect is commonly used in the Barkly and the entire northern part of Australia. It is regarded as a language that rose from children whose parents speak numerous primary languages. Most of the Kriol speakers have been seen rejecting the use of the word Kriol due to the shame associated with speaking the poor language. They prefer this language to be referred to as camp English, pidgin or Aboriginal English(Ponsonnet, 2011; Finders University, 2016). Kriol tends to have a language structure similar to that of the alternative Aboriginal languages(Bhatia & Ritchie, 2012). Words spoken in Kriol may posit different meanings despite being present in English. The increase in the number of dialects spoken by the aboriginal people is associated with high levels of mobility, intermarriages and other historical factors such as the case of larger towns including Tennant Creek and Alice Springs (Central Land Council2016; McLeod & Goldstein, 2012). In some scenarios, even children are seen speaking numerous languages. According to Kirkpatrick (2007), the Aboriginal people have numerous language families spoken all over in Australia. The fact that language does not adhere to the boundaries between different geographical regions, one language can be spoken in two or more parts of Australia. The Central Australian region posits three main family languages made up of predominantly mutually intelligible dialects referred to as the Western Desert, Ngarrkic, Arandic, and Ngarrkic dialects (Cox, 2015). A single family of language may have coinciding dialects that share standard grammatical features and vocabulary with quite minimal distinctions seen between different dialects (Kirkpatrick, 2007). The first dialect of the Aboriginal people is the Western Desert language family that extends from northern West Australia via the Southern Australia into southern NT. This dialect has recorded tremendous changes due to the immigration of people caused by the influence of the Europeans, especially via their missionary contact, construction of the railway and the cattle industry (Central Land Council, 2016). Nonetheless, Pitjantjatjara is the second, but the primary language is spoken in the lands of Pitjantjatjara Lands usually known as the 'Pit Lands(McLeod & Goldstein, 2012). This dialect dominates the northwest of Australia with the interplay of communities such as Areyonga, Amata, Fregon, Ernabella, Wingellina, and Mutitjulu. Thirdly, the Yankunytjatjara dialect is commonly used in the east of Pitjantjatjara despite some of the speakers being found in Finke and Mutijtulu. The fourth is the Luritja dialect which is often utilized in the eastern parts of the Pit Lands. This language has a wide use as the lingua franca of the Warlpiri, Arandic, and the Western Desert speakers. PintupiLuritja is the fifth dialect dominating the Western Desert and commonly used around Papunya to the WA border(Bhatia & Ritchie, 2012). Pintupi demonstrates similar attributes of the next speakers like the Arrernte and Warlpiri. Sixth in the rank are the Kukatja speakers who dominate the Kintore region while the Ngaatjatjarra dialect is spoken use by families in the border of Tjukurla, Blackstone, Warakurna, and Docker River hold the seventh position. Ngaanyatjarra which is the primary language spoken in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands communities is the eighth in rank. The Arandic dialect comprises of closely related languages with numerous languages varieties of Anmatyerr, Arrernte, and Alyawarr as well as Kaytetye, which is a separate language(Wigglesworth & Simpson, 2012). Tenth on the list is the Eastern and Central Arrernte, which are commonly spoken at Bonya, Harts Range, Santa Teresa, Amoonguna, and the Alice Springs (Ponsonnet, 2011). The Western Arrernte that dominates regions surrounding Hermannsburg, Jay Creek, Alice Springs and Wallace Rockhole ranks ten in the list. However, there are few speakers still live speaking the Pertama and Southern Arrernte dialects. Additional dialects include the Central and Eastern Anmatyerr Central, the Alyawarr, Kaytetye, and the Ngarrkic family. Ngarrkic family is made up of Warlpiri, Warlmanpa, and the Waramungu dialects (Finders University, 2016) Conclusion Language is undoubtedly one of the most important tools used in communication. Currently, the Aboriginal people remain the global leading community with the highest number of dialects in their language. These dialects tend to dominate specific regions despite the fact they show a level of similarity. Kriol, a language developed by children of parents who speak numerous dialects is the most common spoken among the Aboriginal communities and tend to vary yin terms of word and vocabulary articulation from one region to another. Initially, the Aboriginal people spoke up to a maximum of 5 languages fluently. Nevertheless, Australian Aboriginals continue to suffer from educational challenges associated with lack of inclusion of their language in schools despite the craving nature of students to learn them. References Bhatia, T. K., & Ritchie, W. C. (2012). The handbook of bilingualism and multilingualism. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell. Central Land Council (2016).Aboriginal Languages.Retrieved from:http://www.clc.org.au/articles/info/aboriginal-languages/. Cox, R. (2015).Contextualising Multilingualism in Australia Today.Australian Catholic University.Australia Volume 50 Number 1, 2015.Retrieved from:https://www.aate.org.au/documents/item/958. Flinders University (2016). Inclusive language guide: Guide to using inclusive language. Innovative Research Universities. South Australia. Retrieved from: https://www.flinders.edu.au/equal-opportunity/tools_resources/publications/inclusive_language.cfm. Indigenous Language Use at Home and School.Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, Sidney, Australia.Retrieved from:http://www.bloomsbury.com/au/childrens-language-and-multilingualism-9780826495174/. Kirkpatrick, A. (2007). World Englishes: Implications for international communication and English language teaching. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. McLeod, S., & Goldstein, B. (2012). Multilingual aspects of speech sound disorders in children. Bristol: Multilingual Mat Ponsonnet, M. (2011).The Australian tradition of multilingualism and the post-colonial context.Sorosoro.Retrieved from:http://www.sorosoro.org/en/2015/09/the-australian-tradition-of-multilingualism-and-the-post-colonial-context/. Wigglesworth, G. & Simpson, J. (2012).Children's Language and Multilingualism Read More