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Unit 4: Language variation and identity
Quick questions on Varieties of English in Australian society in VCE English Language Unit 4
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What is the three accents of Australian English?Show answer
Australian English is traditionally described as having three accent types on a continuum: broad (the most strongly accented, often associated with rural or working-class identity), general (the most widespread) and cultivated (closest to Received Pronunciation, associated with older prestige). These are phonological varieties: they differ chiefly in vowel sounds and prosody, and a speaker's accent can index region, class, age and the identity they wish to project.
What is aboriginal English?Show answer
Aboriginal English is a recognised, systematic variety (in fact a family of varieties) spoken by many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It has its own consistent features across the subsystems: distinctive phonology, grammatical patterns (for example particular uses of "been" as a past marker in some varieties), and lexis drawn from Aboriginal languages and cultural concepts. It is rule-governed and central to the identity and solidarity of its speakers. It must never be described as "broken" or "incorrect" English.
What are ethnolects?Show answer
An ethnolect is a variety of English associated with a particular ethnic or cultural group, often arising where a community language influences English. Australian ethnolects can show transfer at the phonological level (distinctive pronunciation), lexical borrowing from the heritage language, and characteristic discourse features. Ethnolects can persist across generations as identity markers even among speakers fluent in mainstream Australian English, signalling pride and belonging.
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