Varieties before the law: Australian Aboriginal English Key Points Flashcards
Brief history of Aborigines in Australia
- Oppressed in unnatural world since 1788 invasion by Britain
- 1905-1967 children removed from families by state
- Aboriginal land stolen
- Denied access to wages
What are the systematic differences between AAE and SAE?
Name and date
- Phonology
- Grammar
- Vocabulary
- Pragmatics (language use in context)
Eades 1995
What is the aboriginal repertoire like?
Name and date
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
Challenges for the legal system:
Measurement expressions
Time:
- Calendar dates vs physical, social, climate change
Numbers:
- Numbers vs hesitant use and only 2/3 names for numerals
Challenges for the legal system:
Speech Style
Name and date
- Open broadcast style (projecting openly)
- Simultaneous speech
- Silence = desire to think/positive
- ‘Ignoring’ others
- Eye contact avoided
Walsh 1994
Challenges for the legal system:
Dyadic vs non-dyadic
Name and date
- Dyadic: talk directed at someone
- English speaking
- Control by speaker
- Non-dyadic: talk not directed at someone
- Aboriginal
- Control by hearer
Walsh 1994
Challenges for the legal system:
Hearing loss
- 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
Challenges for the legal system:
Questioning
- 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
Challenges for the legal system:
Gratuitous concurrence
Name and date
- 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
Challenges for the legal system:
Being alone
Name and date
- 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
Challenges for the legal system:
The knowledge economy
- 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
What can the challenges cause within the legal system for Aborigines?
- Mistrials
- Poor criminal proceedings
- Incorrect sentencing
- Wrongly being sentenced
Define Acrolectal
The variety of speech that is closest to a standard prestige language
Define Mesolectal
The variety of speech that is in the middle ground between acrolectal and basilectal
Define Basilectal
The variety of speech that is most remote from the prestige variety
AAE vs SAE Phonology
Name and date
- 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
AAE vs SAE Morpho-syntax/grammar
Name and date
- 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
AAE vs SAE Lexicon/vocabulary
Name and date
- 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
AAE vs SAE Pragmatics (language use in context)
Name and date
- 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
What are the Anunga rules?
- 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
