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Dialects Among Young Italian-Australians: A Shift in Attitude and Perception
Abstract
The aim of this article is to analyse the relationship that second- And third-generation Italian migrants in Australia have with the Italian dialect of their family. We report on the survey we recently carried out among young Italian-Australians, mainly learners of Italian as a second language. First, we analyse the motivation behind learning Italian as a heritage language. We then move on to describe their self-evaluation of their competence in the dialect of their family, and their perception thereof. Surprisingly, our survey reveals that not only are Italian dialects still understood by most second- And third-generation Italians (contrary to what people may think), but Italian dialects are also perceived by young Italian-Australians as an important part of their identity. For them, dialect is the language of the family, particularly in relation to the older members. It fulfills an instrumental function, as it enables communication with some family members who master neither English nor Italian, but above all, it is functional to the construction of their self and their social identity.
Identity construction is a complex issue, especially for Hongkongers. Due to historical reason, Hongkongers are regarded to have multiple languages and dual identities, which is hybridity of Chinese (eastern) culture and English (western) culture. Based on the method of narrative inquiry, this study explores how a young generation Hongkonger constructs her identity in a post-colonial context and provides evidence of Hongkonger’s hybrid identity. On the one hand, Hongkongers desire permission to be accepted in the certain cultural communities. On the other hand, they are excluded by both the Chinese community and the English community from a cultural point of view, which leads to localism in Hongkong. As a result, they are like cultural orphans wandering in the cultural “in-between” space.
Although there has been a growing focus on the intersection of intercultural understanding, identity and multilingualism among learners of languages, our understanding of how these three constructs influence the learning journey of pre-service language teachers is still limited. In this chapter, we examine the evolving pre-service teacher identities of three aspiring language teachers as they traverse the pre-service education phase of their career preparation. As part of a wider mixed-methods study we analysed interviews with pre-service teachers, which were conducted pre- and post-placement in schools using the five sub-categories of the multilingual identity approach to intercultural understanding (Fielding, 2021). These explorations of pre-service language teacher identity development can not only help inform initial teacher education and subsequent school support practices, but also be a productive way for pre-service teachers to engage with the complexity of intercultural understanding, identity and multilingualism so that they are then empowered to support their future language students to engage in a participatory approach to student multilingual identity.
This chapter dedicates to the presentation of a phenomenon which attracted the interest of both the academic world and society: the restoration of Italian migration after forty years of dormancy. We will explore the implications of the post-2008 crisis migration on London’s multiculturalism, explaining the rationale of this book.Italy has a very long tradition of emigration. For this reason, the chapter starts with a review not only of the differences between the two main waves of Italian migrants that settled in the UK—the post-WWII wave and the post-2008 wave—but also, and more importantly, on their similarities, suggesting a parallel which has often been neglected by migration scholars so far.
This chapter discusses the, sometimes conflictual, interpretation of the notion of community, and in particular of ethnic migrant community. In this chapter, we explore participants’ ideas on the Italian community in London, as the community with which participants would be historically and traditionally associated. The chapter presents an analysis of the extracts in which participants discussed their feeling of belonging, their understanding of membership to such community, and it continues with the participants’ exploration of new forms of membership and belonging. I here explain the passage from the notion of community to the one of non-community, a community which is disavowed by its own members. Their idea of belonging seems to contrast with the idea of community language, that emerged from the study of migrants’ multilingual practices. Thus, the chapter also shows the beliefs and attitudes of the participants on translanguaging, the practice informing the post-2008 migrants’ community language.
This article presents the findings of an online survey conducted amongst bi- (English, Italian) and trilingual (English, Italian and dialect) Italo-Australian youth, exploring self-assessed language competence, self-reported language choice in various communicative situations, and attitudes towards heritage languages. These young people appear more confident in their Italian than in their dialect skills, and in their ability to understand than to speak. The majority report to employ both languages – and especially Italian – to address a small number of interlocutors, not just the older relatives but also their peers. They resort to Italian more frequently in situations that involve the Internet, thus highlighting the role that technology can play in language maintenance. In terms of attitudes, they display strong affect towards both languages, however they hold more positive attitudes towards Italian. Both languages are connected with family, culture and roots, but are considered of low instrumental value, especially in the case of dialect. The overall shift away from dialect marks a significant difference with language trends observed among previous generations of Italo-Australians, thus confirming the longer-term maintenance in a migration context of the High language, in that it can rely on a wide range of supportive factors.
Much has been said about Italian migration to Australia of the 1950s and 1960s but little is known or understood of the new, young, skilled and educated Italian migrants of the current period. This book, which is a product of more than 24 months of investigation into this recent migratory phenomenon, addresses this defi ciency by bringing a broader appreciation to many aspects of Italian temporary and permanent residency to Australia. While addressing the meaning and extent of the growing temporary and permanent migration to Australia from 2004 until late 2015, this book contains a wide range of expertise and opinions that help explain this mostly unexplored topic. Relevant authorities and scholars of migration to Australia will fi nd this volume and its timely appearance extremely helpful in uncovering a myriad of concerns, events and consequences of this migration fl ow, possibly leading to some remedies and redress to outstanding contemporary issues.
Without even considering the 150 Aboriginal languages still spoken, Australia has an unparalleled mix of languages other than English in common usage, languages often described by the term 'community'. Drawing on census data and other statistics, this book addresses the current suitation of community languages in Australia, analysing which are spoken, by whom, and whereabouts. It focuses on three main issues: how languages other than English are maintained in an English speaking environment, how the structure of the languages themselves changes over time, and how the government has responded to such ethnolinguistic diversity. At a time of unprecedented awareness of these languages within society and a realisation of the importance of mutlilingualism in business, this book makes a significant contribution to understanding the role of community languages in shaping the future of Australian society.
The article examines the family values and ethnic identity of a group of tertiary students of Italian ancestry in Australia through an analysis of their narrative accounts. The participants were asked to write about their life experiences with respect to the interaction of cultural
values both within the family and in school settings. The personal statements showed that the ingroup solidarity and outgroup rivalry experienced by many of the participants grew more intense during the high school years. It was also clear from the investigation that all participants, both
those who were studying Italian at University at the time of the survey and those who were not, stressed the importance of family values in developing their sense of ethnic identity.
This article explores the role of Italian and Sicilian in the life of a second- generation woman of Sicilian origin. It examines her linguistic practices with family and friends through spontaneous conversations, interviews, and a language diary. The analysis focuses on language choice in relation to different interlocutors as indexical of her multiple identities, and on her language attitudes as they emerge implicitly in the conversations and explicitly in the interviews. The trends identified are explained in the light of the language ideologies prevailing in the Italo-Australian and Australian contexts, giving an insight into the prospects of language maintenance in the transition from second- to third-generation Italo-Australians.
A study tested the effects of mirror-induced self-focus on participants tendency to self-stereotype. Americans high and low in identification with their nationality rated themselves and the group “Americans on traits that varied in stereotypicality and valence. Participants made these ratings under one of three conditions: (1) while facing a mirror, (2) while facing a mirror with an American flag visible, and (3) while not facing a mirror. High identifiers were more likely to endorse stereotypic traits and to rate themselves as similar to their national group when self-focused. In contrast, low identifiers were less likely to endorse stereotypic traits and to rate themselves as similar to their national group when self-focused. These patterns were limited to traits negative in valence. Correlational analyses indicated that self/group ratings were most similar when high identifiers were self-focused. Implications for the distinction between personal and social identity are discussed.