GED2817

Language, society and cultural difference

Dr L E Farrell

12 points - 3 hours per week - Second semester - Clayton

Objectives Upon successful completion of this subject, students should have developed an understanding of language as social, cultural and political practice; the social, historical and political contexts in which language is shaped in contemporary Australian society and the implications for education and training in a range of learning environments including primary, secondary and higher education, workplaces and community settings.

Synopsis This subject focuses on language and literacy practice in contemporary Australian society, paying particular attention to the role that language plays in education in all its aspects from policy development to individual moments in pedagogical practice, and to the role of English language education in Australian society, historically and currently. The subject begins by examining the development of concepts of ethnicity, processes of racialisation, and the roles of gender and class in Australia. Policies and practices relating to immigration and cultural difference are examined, especially in relation to education. The ways in which these historical, political and policy contexts shape, and are shaped by, language and literacy practices are then examined. Special attention is paid to literacy and social and cultural difference in school and workplace education, the role of language in formal and informal assessment processes and the political and social implications of the globalisation of English in Australia and internationally. Relevant research, including local and international studies in social linguistics, linguistic anthropology, discourse analysis, post-structuralism and post-colonialism and gender studies is examined and the implications for practice in the range of educational environments. The subject provides opportunities for students to explore the ways in which the research relates to their own educational practice.

Assessment Two research papers (3000 words each): 100%

Recommended texts

Castles S and others Mistaken identity Pluto Press, 1988
Corson D Language minority education and gender Multilingual Matters, 1993

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