These resources are a starting point for learning about different ethnolect varieties in Australian English.
Students should not use these examples for essays as they are too old now; aim to use examples from within the last year or so, where possible. However, these links provide some useful insights into the wide variety of ethnolect features that students can analyse, and issues to discuss around this topic.
1. Sydney Morning Herald - It's our own strain of strine, habib (published 2009)
Useful quotes from the article:
'The ethnolect, a variety of a language spoken by an ethnic subgroup, is used consciously to separate the speakers from Anglo-Australian values, and at its extreme also to separate the speakers from some parts of their own culture.'
- linguist and author Bruce Moore
2. SBS News - The Greeklish project and speaking hybrid languages
3. Comedian Simon Taylor on the Italian-Australian ethnolect (particularly accent):
Watch the videos above and discuss:
How can ethnolects help build rapport and in-group membership between speakers?
4. The Feed SBS - Wogglebox: Lebanese Australians watch 'Here Come the Habibs'
Watch the video above and discuss:
What do the reactions in the video teach us about stereotypes in language use?
How can stereotypes reinforce negative views of people who do not speak 'Standard' English?
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