Shaping a new voice: blending Australian English and heritage languages in second-generation migrant writing

Abstract

ABSTRACT With reference to three interviews with prominent second-generation migrant authors in Australia – Alice Pung, Randa Abdel-Fattah, and Benjamin Law – this article examines how English is perceived, used, and claimed in Australia. Perceptions of Australian English have always been traditionally monolingual, despite the current realities of a population of diverse cultures and the explicit use of many languages other than English. The article examines the point of intersection, where English meets heritage language(s), and how this affects and influences the way these specific authors write. Drawing on World Englishes and Canagarajah’s notion of code-meshing, this article also focuses on how the authors’ relationship with English as second-generation Australian migrants can contribute to changing future perceptions of English in Australia.