Language and Society in Indigenous Australia

Around 300 languages have been used in traditional and modern Australian Indigenous societies, linking land, people and all aspects of life. What are these languages like? What roles do the languages play? In this course we explore some of the richness and complexity of ways of interacting in Australian languages, learn about their sounds, words and grammatical patterns, and gain an understanding of how languages reflect social, cultural and physical environments. Through learning a little of an Indigenous language, you will learn about features characteristic of Australian indigenous languages including ways of talking about kin and family relationships, specialised ways of talking to show respect, and interesting grammatical patterns. English has encroached massively on Australian indigenous languages. We’ll discuss the effect this has, including how new ways of speaking are created, how languages are lost and the ways in which Indigenous speakers are teaching and reviving their traditional languages today. This course is a must for anyone interested in exploring the richness of Australian Indigenous languages in their social context.