Aboriginal English and Bi-Dialectal Identity in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Aboriginal English is a powerful marker of identity for many Aboriginal people, but in schools it is still often seen as "poor English". This chapter reports a study of the impact of Aboriginal English on learning outcomes for Indigenous children in preschools in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Data from one family's home interactions and from Koori and mainstream preschool interactions are presented. Little evidence was found of grammatical and lexical features of Aboriginal English, but prosodic features of interactional style are suggested to form an integral part of Aboriginal identity. The findings suggested that there may be dissonance between Indigenous children's home and preschool language experiences that includes, but exceeds, the linguistic features of Aboriginal English. We suggest that, particularly in contexts where a "light" form of Aboriginal English is used, identity is indexed by features of prosody and interactional style that are characteristic of Aboriginal ways of being, doing and knowing. Combining our understanding of Aboriginal ways of talking and of effective preschool pedagogies forges links between Applied Linguistics and Early Childhood Education that can contribute to improving outcomes for young Indigenous learners.