Australia – Page 12 – Language on the Move

Language and migration

Racism without racists

In the past couple of years, I have been a passenger in Sydney taxis driven, inter alia, by an agricultural engineer from India, a civil engineer from Somalia, a surgeon…

Ingrid PillerAugust 27, 2010

Intercultural communication

Total immersion

I am currently a visiting scholar from Isfahan, Iran, in Sydney, Australia. Therefore, I speak English most of the time. I use English with my colleagues at work although, interestingly,…

Vahid ParvareshAugust 25, 2010

English as a global language

Barbarous multilingual devil worshippers

I’ve just run a search for the terms “multilingual” and “multilingualism” in the National Library of Australia’s archive of Historic Australian Newspapers, 1803-1954. In the process, I have learnt that…

Ingrid PillerAugust 16, 2010

Voices of African-Australian Youth

Racism is an inevitable part of growing up black in Australia. As a mother of two African-Australian boys, one of the hardest things is that I can only do so…

Vera Williams TettehAugust 7, 2010

Language in Australia

Diversity made invisible in 2010 Australian federal election

This weekend, if you were out shopping, you couldn't escape the electioneering for the 2010 Australian federal election. I do my grocery shopping in Eastwood, one of Sydney’s most multicultural…

Kimie Takahashi 高橋君江July 26, 2010

Language in Australia

Not pork but bacon

Rashid is an overseas graduate student at an Australian university. He is a Muslim from the Middle East, and this is the story of how he inadvertently ate pork during…

Ingrid PillerJune 26, 2010

Linguistic landscapes

Banal multilingualism

As someone who is concerned about Australia’s monolingual mindset and the damage it does to individuals and our society as a whole, I probably should have been pleased to discover…

Ingrid PillerJune 17, 2010

Linguistic landscapes

French – the brand

Installment #6 in the mini-series on multilingual signage Multilingualism sells! Some forms of multilingualism that is. In the world of marketing, languages operate like brands: they are a signifier for…

Ingrid PillerMay 19, 2010

Linguistic landscapes

Banal nationalism for breakfast

Installment #5 in the mini-series on multilingual signage Signage not only appears in public space. Through our consumption of all kinds of products, we bring a multiplicity of signs into…

Ingrid PillerMay 15, 2010

Linguistic landscapes

Toiletology

Installment #4 in the mini-series on multilingual signage Toilets as an object of sociolinguistic research?! Not likely?! Think again! Today, I am going to discuss toilet signage as an indicator…

Ingrid PillerMay 7, 2010

Language and migration

Domestic violence in a multilingual world

Non-English speakers’ access to emergency services in Australia is in the news again as a Melbourne man has been convicted of the murder of his wife. What makes the case…

Ingrid PillerApril 12, 2010

Language in Australia

Push for multi-lingual mindset

Listen to Ingrid Piller speaking about multilingualism and monolingualism in the tourism industry on ABC radio’s PM show.

Language on the MoveFebruary 27, 2010

Language at work

Tipsy on multilingualism?!

English-speaking countries have a poor track record when it comes to language learning. Educators in Australia, the UK and the USA regularly bemoan that fact and call for a change…

Ingrid PillerFebruary 21, 2010

Language in Australia

Monolingual mindset in the lucky country

National holidays are there to celebrate the nation and the opinion pages tend to be full of self-congratulation on such occasions. Australia is no exception and one of the more…

Ingrid PillerFebruary 3, 2010

Linguistic landscapes

Croc warning

I took a picture of this sign during a family holiday in Cairns. My then-six-year-old daughter noticed the German “Achtung” and so asked why it didn’t say “Warning” in her…

Ingrid PillerDecember 4, 2009

Linguistic landscapes

Ridiculous English signs

Ridiculous English signs English speakers sometimes like to amuse themselves with ridiculous English signage from around the world. www.engrish.com is a typical example and I have to admit that there…

Ingrid PillerNovember 26, 2009

Racism without racists

Total immersion

Barbarous multilingual devil worshippers

Banal multilingualism

French – the brand

Banal nationalism for breakfast

Domestic violence in a multilingual world

Push for multi-lingual mindset

Tipsy on multilingualism?!

Monolingual mindset in the lucky country

Ridiculous English signs

UNTERSTÜTZT VON / SUPPORTED BY

NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION