Varieties before the law: Australian Aboriginal English Key Points

Question 1

Brief history of Aborigines in Australia

Answer 1

• Oppressed in unnatural world since 1788 invasion by Britain
• 1905-1967 children removed from families by state
• Aboriginal land stolen
• Denied access to wages

Question 2

What are the systematic differences between AAE and SAE?

Name and date

Answer 2

• Phonology
• Grammar
• Vocabulary
• Pragmatics (language use in context)

Eades 1995

Question 3

What is the aboriginal repertoire like?

Name and date

Answer 3

Multilingualism:

• Most Aborigines speak some English
• Some Aborigines only speak Aboriginal languages

English:

• Most Aborigines who speak SAE have it as a 2nd language
• 2nd language SAE speakers not ‘truly fluent’
• Some speakers use pidgin forms (simplified)

Mildren 1999

Question 4

Challenges for the legal system:

Measurement expressions

Answer 4

Time:
- Calendar dates vs physical, social, climate change

Numbers:
- Numbers vs hesitant use and only 2/3 names for numerals

Question 5

Challenges for the legal system:

Speech Style

Name and date

Answer 5

• Open broadcast style (projecting openly)
• Simultaneous speech
• Silence = desire to think/positive
• ‘Ignoring’ others
• Eye contact avoided

Walsh 1994

Question 6

Challenges for the legal system:

Dyadic vs non-dyadic

Name and date

Answer 6

• Dyadic: talk directed at someone
• English speaking
• Control by speaker
• Non-dyadic: talk not directed at someone
• Aboriginal
• Control by hearer

Walsh 1994

Question 7

Challenges for the legal system:

Hearing loss

Answer 7

• Main cause: Middle ear infections
• 25% of aboriginal adults

High infection rate due to:

• Lack of healthcare access
• Poor nutrition
• Poor immune response
• Overcrowding
• Lack of clean water

Question 8

Challenges for the legal system:

Questioning

Answer 8

• Either or questions are not appropriate in Aboriginal culture
• Eg. “Were you at the house or the park?”
• Answer by repeating last item
• Answer by responding to last item

Question 9

Challenges for the legal system:

Gratuitous concurrence

Name and date

Answer 9

• Agreeing in response to a white person’s/powerful person’s question
• Regardless of actual agreement or understanding
• Rather not admit they do not understand

Eades 1995

Question 10

Challenges for the legal system:

Being alone

Name and date

Answer 10

• Aborigines do little without a companion
• No purpose, just to not be alone
• In court/interrogation they are alone and in a strange environment
• Custom is most common when they are in strange environment = unable to in court/interrogation

Cooke 1998

Question 11

Challenges for the legal system:

The knowledge economy

Answer 11

• Secret knowledge
• You only get access to certain info when you reach a certain ‘position’ within their culture
• Gender of speaker influences what they are allowed to know
• Inappropriate to share certain information with those who do not meet the requirements
• Directness is not tolerated within Aboriginal cultures

Question 12

What can the challenges cause within the legal system for Aborigines?

Answer 12

• Mistrials
• Poor criminal proceedings
• Incorrect sentencing
• Wrongly being sentenced

Question 13

Define Acrolectal

Answer 13

The variety of speech that is closest to a standard prestige language

Question 14

Define Mesolectal

Answer 14

The variety of speech that is in the middle ground between acrolectal and basilectal

Question 15

Define Basilectal

Answer 15

The variety of speech that is most remote from the prestige variety

Question 16

AAE vs SAE Phonology

Name and date

Answer 16

• AAE heaviest varieties (basilectal) phonology influenced by local indigenous languages (likely to be very different to SAE)
• AAE acrolectal uses clear l in post-vocalic position and h dropping (are these stigmatised in SAE?)
• Basilectal AAE no distinction between voiced (b) and voiceless stops (p) = bought or port indistinguishable
• Basilectal restricted vowel set (won’t understand vast SAE vowels?)

Butcher 2009

Question 17

AAE vs SAE Morpho-syntax/grammar

Name and date

Answer 17

• AAE omit copula verb ‘to be’ eg. They really big
• AAE doesn’t mark present tense, third person singular apart from some acrolectal varieties
• AAE double negatives eg. They not give us nothing
• Acrolectal AAE never instead of didn’t
• For can be used to indicate possession

Butcher 2009

Question 18

AAE vs SAE Lexicon/vocabulary

Name and date

Answer 18

• Legalese = places ignorance on AAE speakers, not part of their lexicon
• Legal setting and context are alien to Aboriginal society = hard to interpret
• AAE has a variety of words to refer to themselves and their people, differs depending on area eg. Koori
• Gammon can be used to mean false (problematic)
• Humbug used for trouble, annoy or molest (problematic understanding, which one do they mean?)
• Deadly = terrific and wonderful

Butcher 2009

Question 19

AAE vs SAE Pragmatics (language use in context)

Name and date

Answer 19

• Ceremonial/cultural traditions mean men and women cannot interact freely or tell certain info to each other
• Gratuitous concurrence = say yes to those in power (white people)

Butcher 2009

Question 20

What are the Anunga rules?

Answer 20

• Rules put in place for use of interpreters with Aboriginal people
• One rule = unless Aborigine is as fluent as white man of English decent then an interpreter is required for complete and mutual understanding