ABSTRACT The Boarders’ Corpus of Australian Aboriginal English (BAE) comprises over 42 h of audio-recorded conversation among First Nations youth living outta country at St Mary’s Hills, a boarding school in Whadjuk Nyungar Country, in the South of Western Australia. Collected as part of a sociolinguistic ethnographic study at the boarding school, the BAE features 35 young women and five young men, aged 12–17. Due to varying enrolments and cultural protocols in the community, 31 young women were followed ethnographically. All boarders hail from across Western Australia and the Northern Territory. While some are monolingual speakers of Aboriginal English, others also speak traditional languages and/or Kriol. The BAE features casual and unstructured conversations among peers and with the non-First Nations participant-observer researcher in English. As the first spoken corpus of First Nations boarders, this dataset has contributed to our understanding of the linguistic experiences of First Nations communities in mainstream institutions, and the role language plays in the construction of boarders’ sociolinguistic identities as they navigate the educational system away from home. It has allowed for the exploration of boarders’ variable use of phonetic and morpho-syntactic features and the social meanings underpinning linguistic variation.

ABSTRACT In culturally and linguistically diverse school settings, English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) specialist teachers play a critical role in fostering equitable, socially just, and responsive learning environments. In Australia, EAL/D learners are students whose first language is not Standard Australian English (SAE) and who require targeted support to develop proficiency in SAE. This paper reports on a study examining EAL/D teachers’ reported pedagogical practices that nurture multilingual students’ plurilingual repertoires as acts of social justice. Framed through pedagogical judgement—encompassing action, reasoning, and responsibility—the study explored how teachers leveraged students’ cultural and linguistic resources as learning assets. Data were generated through in-depth semi-structured interviews with five EAL/D specialist teachers working with newly arrived Ezidi refugee-background students in a regional town in New South Wales. Findings indicate that teachers enacted inclusive, plurilingual practices grounded in strong pedagogical reasoning and a moral commitment to equity. Despite recognising persistent monolingual and deficit discourses, teachers actively challenged these narratives by affirming students’ linguistic and cultural identities.

Abstract Intergenerational trauma, rooted in histories of colonization and systemic exclusion, continues to impact the educational and psychological well-being of Indigenous communities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia. In response to the enduring impact of intergenerational trauma, this study explores how a trauma-responsive framework can be strengthened through a translanguaging On Country framework that integrates translanguaging pedagogy with Aboriginal children’s linguistic, communicative, cultural and identity repertoires. This ethnographic study was conducted at an Aboriginal school in Western Australia’s Kimberley region. Drawing on an “ On-Country Walk, ” this study reveals how Aboriginal children engaged in translanguaging to express themselves through full translingual repertories, including Gija, Kriol, Aboriginal English, Standard Australian English, and other semiotic resources, which promote a sense of belonging, strengthens cultural identities, and creates a sense of safety. Findings demonstrate that translanguaging On Country offers a harmonious and healing space for mutual learning where Aboriginal children confidently articulate their meaning-making practices while reclaiming their linguistic, cultural and epistemic agency.

Abstract Vowel glottalization, as voice quality variation, occurs at phrase edges or under prominence, often in conjunction with resolving onsetless syllables or vowel-vowel hiatus. This study examines whether and how voice quality in two varieties of English, American and Australian, is manifested at phrase edges and under prominence in vowels that are neither strictly initial nor final. Analyses of spectral and noise measures show that both varieties utilize voice quality to signal prominence and boundaries, even in non-edge contexts. Specifically, increased glottalization reflects stronger laryngeal articulation in line with domain-initial and prominence-induced strengthening. Conversely, phrase-final positions are characterized by phrase-final creak, which is often observed with phrase-final weakening. While both varieties show similar vowel glottalization usage, Australian English tends to use voice quality more extensively to mark focus than American English, with a greater overall tendency toward glottalization. This suggests that the impressionistic difference perceived in the general use of voice quality between the varieties (more robust glottalized vowels in Australian English) stems from differences in the use of glottalization in marking prosodic structure. These findings underscore the role of non-contrastive voice quality in shaping prosodic structure across varieties while also revealing dialect-specific interactions between phonetics and prosody in its manifestation.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to translate and adapt the Communicative Activities Checklist (COMACT), initially developed in Australian English, into European Portuguese (EP) and to analyse its validity and reliability, with a sample of Portuguese people with aphasia (PWA) and neurologically healthy people (NHP). Methods: The following phases were completed: forward translation, back-translation, development of a set of instructions, evaluation by a specialist committee of the different versions, cognitive debriefing, and a discussion group about the final COMACT-EP and its use with a sample of Portuguese PWA and NHP. Cognitive debriefing data were analysed both qualitatively (Thematic analysis) and quantitatively (Content Validity Index – CVI). Concurrent validity with the Communication Disability Profile – European Portuguese (CDP-EP) Activity subscale (Spearman’s correlation), internal consistency (Cronbach’s α), and test-retest (Wilcoxon test) were also analysed. Results: The CVI obtained was excellent. The instructions were considered clear, and COMACT-EP was found to be easy to complete and of adequate length. Most of its items were regarded as clear, easy to understand, and relevant. However, the need for improvement was also highlighted. It was suggested that certain items be added and others revised to enhance clarity. Test-retest results revealed stability in the majority of its items. The IC of the COMACT-EP categories “Talking” and “Listening” was found to be low, and the concurrent validity with the CDP-EP Activities subscale was somewhat limited. Conclusion: It is necessary to continue revising and rewording certain items of the COMACT-EP and to include a larger sample of PWA, representing a broader range of ethnic, geographic, and cultural backgrounds, as well as different types of aphasia and levels of severity.

When people move to a new location, the way they speak often changes to become more similar to the variety spoken in the area. Rates of second dialect acquisition (SDA) have been shown to be affected by a number of factors, including exposure and the relative prestige of the varieties involved. The current study investigates SDA in speakers of American and Australian English who have moved to Australia and the USA respectively. The participants completed picture-naming, lexical decision, and wordlist reading tasks. We found similar rates of SDA in picture-naming, no SDA in wordlist reading, and some differences in terms of when the SDA features are acquired in lexical decision between the two groups. The results suggest that SDA can manifest in non-mobile participants and be triggered through exposure.

Lateral channel dynamics and F3 modulation: Quantifying para-sagittal articulation in Australian English /l/

The article is dedicated to the study of the pragmatic features of the Irish and Australian varieties of English within legal and intercultural discourse. A corpus-based and linguo-pragmatic analysis of selected Irishisms (Gaeltacht, Taoiseach, Oireachtas) and Australisms (Appeasement, Court of Petty Sessions, Tent Embassy) is applied. Our choice of these specific culturally marked realia could be explained by their active usage in legal contexts (proven by the corpus data) and their direct impact on the processes of diplomatic communication (proven by our qualitative analysis). These lexemes not only contain nationally specific concepts but also perform institutional and pragmatic functions. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the treaty and legal framework of Ukrainian–Irish and Ukrainian–Australian relations, especially after 2014 and 2022, when cooperation in the areas of security, humanitarian aid, and cultural diplomacy acquired a new dimension. Methodologically, the study is based on quantitative analysis of data from the Global Web-Based English (GloWbE) digital corpus combined with qualitative research methods, which includes: discourse analysis, content analysis, and pragmatic interpretation of legal documents and governmental publications. The article identifies three main strategies of translating culturally marked realia: (1) retention of the original, (2) adaptation (phonetic or through transliteration), and (3) descriptive translation. Through linguo-pragmatic analysis of the data, the authors conclude that in translation into Ukrainian it is important to maintain a balance between preserving authenticity and ensuring clarity for recipients. Several cases of unawareness of the cultural context of Ireland and Australia were revealed in the study, which in turn led to misinterpretation. To prevent such situations, the application of descriptive translation is recommended, since comprehensibility and precision are crucial in legal discourse. The practical significance of the study lies in identifying the influence of the aforementioned Irishisms and Australisms from the lexico-semantic field of “Law” on legal communication and translation practice. The results demonstrate a close interrelationship between law and language, and the conclusions reached may prove useful in teaching, translation, and negotiation practice.

This article explores the phenomenon of occasional units (nonce words) within different linguistic traditions. Starting from Hermann Paul’s notion of individual creative acts, the study highlights James Murray’s introduction of the term nonce-word, N. I. Feldman’s foundational work on occasionalisms in Russian linguistics, and subsequent classifications by Babenko and Bauer. David Crystal’s psycholinguistic perspective and the role of nonce formations in language acquisition experiments are also examined. The paper further analyzes contemporary research on internet-based occasionalisms during the COVID-19 pandemic and the productive word-formation processes in Australian English. Overall, the article demonstrates how occasional units reflect linguistic creativity, language change, and cultural values.

This study focuses on vowel variation in Mainstream Australian English, describing F1/F2 vowel spaces and voice quality produced by speakers from the capital, Hobart, of the island state of Tasmania. Vowels are analysed by comparing F1/F2 vowel spaces produced by 39 male and female speakers, divided into younger and older age groups. Voice quality is measured by acoustic analysis of H1*-H2* as well as CPP. Results for vowel quality show that vowels produced by speakers from Hobart are undergoing change at a slower pace than in other large urban areas in Australia. For voice quality, younger speakers are shown to use more creak than older speakers, and male speakers also use more creak than female speakers. For monophthongal vowel quality, the study shows congruence with other work in Australia highlighting minor variability between urban centres, as well as illustrating that geographically distant locations with smaller populations have slower rates of change. For voice quality, the study also aligns with recent work showing less modal (and creakier) voiced vowels for younger speakers, and for male speakers. The study contributes to the small but growing body of work analysing speech produced in the island state of Tasmania, relating it to knowledge of variation and change in Mainstream Australian English more generally.

The article studies one of the main variants of the English language, Australian English. The main variants of English differ from each other on phonetic and lexical linguistic levels. The grammatical structure is the same in all variants, that is why the focus of the study was the lexical level of Australian English. The word-stock of Australian English includes slang as a certain layer of the vocabulary. It started to be formed under a strong influence of the first settlers from Great Britain. These settlers were mostly involved in farming which was spread in rural areas of the Australian continent. The greatest challenge was the unusual environment which caused linguistic peculiarities of Australian variant. It was also influenced by lexical peculiarities of aboriginal dialects, later these were dialects and languages of settlers from other countries which arrived there during the period of Gold rush. Local farmers tended to use some newly coined words and expressions in their everyday speech. Thus, Australian slang came in use and as the analysis demonstrates it was closely connected with London Cockney dialect, which was used by the first settlers from Great Britain. Cockney dialect is remarkable for its rhyming slang, which has been registered in the present research as an essential part of the Australian slang. In the course of analysis both common and proper nouns were singled out that served as the basis for rhyme in Australian slang. Studying the Australian slang vocabulary allowed to identify some most productive types of word formation, such as affixation and abbreviation. The research demonstrates a strong bond between extralinguistic and linguistic peculiarities of how the Australian English slang was formed.

In Australia, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children speak contact languages, dialects and creoles, formed from traditional languages and English. Upon entry to the schooling system, these students are required to learn standardized Australian English (SAE) to access curriculum content. In our experiences, dominant monolingual English-only teaching approaches did not meet the English as an additional language and/or dialect (EAL/D) learning needs of students who speak Indigenous contact languages, and we decided to undertake a classroom-based critical participatory action research (CPAR) study to investigate why learning SAE is so difficult in these contexts. To do this, we explored some language differences between an Indigenous contact language and SAE using contrastive analysis with students in years 1, 3 and 5. With a focus on grammatical differences, our sociolinguistic discourse analysis of student responses over three lessons showed they were highly engaged with the learning and were mostly able to notice the language differences but sometimes found it difficult to separate and switch between the two languages, despite their explicit knowledge of the grammatical rules. To make sense of this, we turn to Schmidt’s Noticing Theory and theories of second dialect acquisition that propose acquiring two closely related languages may present a greater challenge for the learner. Using this to guide our future practice, we conclude that contrastive analysis is useful to develop learners’ language awareness but must form part of an ongoing program for teaching language differences supported by partnerships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous practitioners with sufficient opportunity for students to engage with oral language practice. To do this, teachers require a high level of language awareness and knowledge about language learning.

This study examines linguistic similarities and differences between Australian English (AusE) and New Zealand English (NZE), focusing on phonology, lexicon, and sociolinguistic attitudes. Drawing on corpus data, phonetic analysis, and attitudinal surveys, the research identifies both shared features—such as non-rhoticity and a common colonial origin—and distinguishing characteristics, including vowel quality, region-specific vocabulary, and the integration of Indigenous terms. NZE exhibits centralized KIT and raised DRESS vowels, while AusE demonstrates broader diphthongs and lengthened FACE vowels. Lexical distinctions reflect cultural and historical influences, with Māori borrowings in NZE and informal slang in AusE signaling social and national identity. Survey data indicate that speakers perceive their accents as markers of belonging, personality, and cultural affiliation. These findings illustrate how closely related English varieties can diverge through phonetic innovation, lexical adaptation, and sociocultural factors, contributing to national identity while maintaining mutual intelligibility. The study provides insights into language evolution in postcolonial contexts.

ABSTRACT For more than two decades there have been claims of a shift in the way various linguistic taboos (i.e. swearwords and slurs) are used and perceived by members of the broader community. This supposed shift, which is believed to reflect the current values maintained by society on the whole, has prompted social commentators and researchers alike to suggest that the most taboo words no longer relate to sex, religion, or bodily effluvia, but derive from a domain of language classified as “-IST language” (i.e. disparaging or pejorative language targeting people sharing similar characteristics). To test this claim in an Australian context, the authors of this paper asked 60 Australian-born university students to complete an online survey assessing not only each participant’s personal perception of swearing, (potentially) offensive, and taboo language, but also their thoughts concerning the way the Australian population at large view various taboo terms. The results of this survey indicate that language which was once deemed to be the most offensive and taboo, has been overtaken in terms of taboo by -IST language.

ABSTRACT This article examines how Australian accents were represented on stage throughout the 20th century, and how attitudes toward Australian English (AusE) influenced what was heard in performance. Although AusE had been in daily use since the mid-19th century, live theatre continued to privilege Received Pronunciation (RP) well into the 20th century. Drawing on linguistic research into attitudinal response to AusE, the article explores how stage representation of Australian accents responded to or reflected social and cultural movements such as the “cultural cringe,” radio broadcasting, post-World War II migration and national language policy. The “so-called New Wave” and First Nations theatre of the 1960s and 1970s, followed by the multicultural boom of the 1980s and 1990s, collectively shifted theatre away from RP toward a broader range of Australian accents. Four phases of representation of AusE on stages are proposed: the British Echo, Cultivated Standard, the Anglo-Centric New Wave and finally the First Nations and Multicultural Voices phase. Strikingly, Shakespeare productions sit outside this trend. To account for this, the article considers sociolinguistic perspectives on how accents acquire meaning in culture and performance. Overall, it highlights tensions between British theatrical standards and calls for inclusive representation of Australia’s linguistic identity.

ABSTRACT The word yarn in the sense of ‘talk’ and pronounced [ja:n] has gained currency as a marker of Australian Indigenous Englishes. I explore its origins in Australian Aboriginal languages, in early Australian contact language sources, and in early Australian, New Zealand and British English sources. In the nineteenth century the English expression spin a yarn became accepted as sailor talk for storytelling. The noun yarn became used for ‘story’, and yarn then became used as a verb. Evidence is sparse for yarn in early English-derived Australian contact languages, or in languages of the Sydney area. However, a verb yarn-in ‘speak, talk, say’ was recorded in 1843 in the Ngarrindjeri language. Verbs with forms and meanings similar to Ngarrindjeri yarn-in are found in other Aboriginal languages in inland NSW and Queensland. The modern Australian English use of yarn for ‘informal talk’ diverges from the earlier English use of yarn for entertainment talk, and is closer in meaning to the Ngarrindjeri yarn-in. Yarning is now adopted as a label in institutional discourse for talk with and among Australian Indigenous people. I suggest that the modern use is influenced by both the verbs in some Australian Aboriginal languages and the English sailor-talk use.

Creaky voice is a linguistic feature that is perceived to have increased in prevalence in English over recent years, particularly in women's speech. However, there is limited empirical evidence for this apparent increase. Using real-time acoustic analysis, we explore whether generational change in creaky voice prevalence can be seen among teenage speakers from Sydney, Australia. We conducted a trend analysis comparing creak prevalence in the speech of 28 teenagers collected in 1989 to 21 teenagers collected 30 years later. Results provide evidence for an increase in creak prevalence over time for young female (but not male) speakers of Australian English.

Knowledge of the mechanisms of phonetically motivated sound changes is incomplete and based primarily on apparent—rather than real-time—evidence. How exactly does an innovative variant become the new norm within individual and population-level grammars? Here, eighteen L1 English speakers were recorded in 2014 and again in 2022. Acoustic analysis of sibilants in /str/ shows (i) coarticulatory /s/-retraction for all speakers in 2014 and (ii) a group-level increase in the degree of /s/-retraction in 2022. Perception data show that increased /s/-retraction was audible to listeners. Increased /s/-retraction also matched the outcome of simulated interaction between the speaker participants in an agent-based model. However, the effects of sound change are not predictable within idiolects: some speakers’ production targets shifted incrementally in the opposite direction of the group-level trend.

Abstract We present an acoustic analysis of monophthongal vowel production in Central Australian Aboriginal English (CAAE), providing one of the first systematic examinations of this variety spoken by English‐as‐a‐first‐language (L1) speakers in Mparntwe/Alice Springs, Australia. Using conversational data from six adult female participants, we investigated the acoustic properties of CAAE's vowel system, focusing on phonemic contrasts, phonetic realisations, allophonic variations and individual differences. The analyses reveal that CAAE has a similar vowel inventory to Mainstream Australian English (MAusE), but also displays some distinct phonetic features. For instance, in CAAE, the trap vowel is less open than that in MAusE, and some CAAE speakers may produce the goose vowel as a back vowel. Like other varieties, phonological contexts affect vowel production, as allophonic variations have also been observed. Together, the analyses contribute to a more detailed understanding of the phonetics and phonology of CAAE spoken as an L1 in Central Australia today.

The phenomenon of using swear words in Australian English is worth studying because it not only serves as an expression of emotion but also reflects the social and cultural values of its speakers. In cross-cultural interactions, such as Australian tourists visiting Bali, the use of such words has the potential to cause misunderstandings. This study aims to identify and explain the forms, functions, and references of swear words in Australian English from a sociolinguistic and cultural perspective. The research employed a descriptive qualitative method with a sociolinguistic approach. Primary data were collected through in-depth interviews with Australian tourists, while secondary data were obtained through document analysis. Three informants were selected based on specific criteria, with the researcher serving as the main instrument, supported by field notes, questionnaires, and interview guidelines. The findings revealed 32 Australian English swear words categorized by their forms, consisting of words (11), phrases (13), and clauses (8). In terms of function, these swear words were used to draw attention, discredit, provoke, establish interpersonal identification, express emotions, provide emphasis, and show aggression. Based on their references, the swear words were related to sexuality (16), excrement (7), religion (4), and personal background (3). The study concludes that the use of swear words in Australian English is not only a means of emotional communication but also an integral part of the speakers’ cultural identity