3/06/2020 1 Predictable miscommunication: Understanding differences between Aboriginal and Standard English narrative styles. Ben Grimes, 3 June 2020 ben.grimes@cdu.edu.au 2 1
3/06/2020 “If two people, from different language backgrounds, both witnessed the same event, would there be significant differences in how they told the story of what they saw?” 3 To what extent can we predict intercultural miscommunication? 4 2
3/06/2020 A person’s first language will ‘First language influence how they interference’ speak and understand a second language 5 ‘Contrastive Analysis’ Aboriginal English languages 6 3
3/06/2020 Levels of language Phonology (sounds) Semantics (words) Syntax (grammar) Discourse (conversation, stories, logic) 7 Different sound systems z, s, ch, sh p = b k = g � dj/tj v, f � p/b t = d 8 4
3/06/2020 Words Words with Words with no partially close equivalent overlapping meaning Words with multiple meanings 9 Buma (v) • Hunt Kill (v) • Hit • Cause death • Murder • Weave • Cause death • Pinch (a child) • Dolphins jumping 10 5
3/06/2020 Bundles of meaning Wänga (n) Wife Camp Homeland House Country/place Place where [of origin] [I] am staying 11 Some examples of Aboriginal English terms with different meanings (NT) • Cheeky • Country • Force • Relationship terms (mum, dad, auntie • Half, half-way etc) • Stop, stopping • Kill • Business • Deadly • Poison 12 6
3/06/2020 Ordinary words with multiple meanings • Did you take your medicine? • Are you happy to agree to these conditions? • You can leave after you see the lawyer. • Your nose is running . • How do you feel about this? • He was charged . 13 Common problem words; partial overlap or no close equivalent • Can • Unless • If • Instead • Probably, possibly • Usually, often, frequently • Could/would/should • Don’t have to • Important, serious • Need 14 7
3/06/2020 Grammar - Wangurri • Ga milmitjpayim ŋanapiliŋgu And afternoon-became our/for us (ex) • • wapthunma ŋanapu, ŋaykaman ŋanapu, hop we (ex) go we (ex) • • bus-ḻim ŋanapu ŋal’ŋalun bala ŋaykaman bus-to we (ex) climb then go • • ga ŋanapu dhiŋgiŋ’ yana-warri and we (ex) thinking only-contra • • bitjan, “Galki,” bitjana. like this, “Close,” like that. • 15 • Meaning based translation: • And in the afternoon, we hopped (off the plane) and walked to the bus. We climbed on it and went on our way. And we were thinking, “We’re close!” But we were wrong. - example courtesty of Dr Marilyn Mclellan, • ARDS 16 8
3/06/2020 • Yankunytjatjara • “Ka pula kuka panya malu utitjunku-nytja- tjanu-ngku mantjira tjitji panya ungu.” • and they two meat that-one kangaroo put-up-noml-after-erg get-serial child that-one give (past ) 17 Meaning – based translation • 'Then after having put the kangaroo meat up (in a tree, for safekeeping) they got it down and gave some to the child' 18 9
3/06/2020 David Moore, Alyawarr Verb Morphology, 2012 , pg 129 19 Grammar Prepositions to passives tense talk about time Negative cause & effect abstract nouns questions 20 10
3/06/2020 It is important you follow these Please listen carefully about taking this directions. medicine. [If you drink the medicine in the proper way, it will help you get better. If you don’t do it the proper way, you might stay sick.] This is a serious illness. This sickness will make you sick for a long time / will make your body feel very sick . [description] He could be released from hospital next Next week the doctor might say that he is week. allowed to leave hospital and go home. You should get that tested. I think it is good for you to ask a [doctor] to find out more about that [problem]. You should make a booking if you want to You must [call the receptionist] and make see a doctor. a booking. Then they will tell you when you can talk with a doctor. 21 His anger led him to behave that way. He was angry , so he did those things. You will be operated on next week. Next week, the doctor will operate on you. You cannot get pregnant for 12 months You must not get pregnant for 12 months after this injection. after this injection. When you get this injection, you must not become pregnant. You must wait one year, then you are allowed to become pregnant. She went to the clinic because she was She was sick, so she went to the clinic. sick. She stopped drinking the antibiotic The infection got worse because she medicine. That made the infection [in her stopped taking her antibiotics. leg] bad. 22 11
3/06/2020 Pragmatics • Question and answer • Silence • Gratuitous concurrence • Quantifying time • Quantifying distance • Body language, eye contact • Open v closed conversations 23 Narrative discourse 24 12
3/06/2020 “If two people, from different language backgrounds, both witnessed the same event, would there be significant differences in how they told the story of what they saw?” 25 Experimental research Constant • Two identical videos • Similar viewing process • Similar questioning process Variables • The L1 of the participant (5 SAE, 5 YM) 26 13
3/06/2020 Coding idea units in unprompted narrative 27 2. meta- 1. ‘non-visible’ 3. Recalling narrative of Inferences speech acts viewing 4. Cultural 5. Spiral schema of narrative ‘fight’ 28 14
3/06/2020 1. Non-visible inferences • “she went up on stage and there was a rude , you know, some bloke wanted to be rude ” • “then umm, the lady was pleased that Jake did that and so she continued performing” • “I think that man turning that thing on, the music to cut the singer off . The other people, the other fella didn’t like him interfering turning the music off , the woman singing that they were listening to.” 29 • “ Type of person just don’t give a shit about anyone else.” • “They just looked and stepped away. They were frightened. Maybe he’s the leader .” • “…then one male rang the police , the one with a white jumper. He’s calling for police. That one man, with white jacket.” • “I think that man turning that thing on, the music to cut the singer off . The other people, the other fella didn’t like him interfering turning the music off , the woman singing that they were listening to.” 30 15
3/06/2020 • YM participants � 24 references to non-visible inferences • SAE participants � 20 references to non-visible inferences. • Given that SAE responses were on average three times longer, this highlights the relative emphasis placed on non-visible inferences in the narratives of the YM participants. 31 Marked vs unmarked • SAE3 “So, you know, potentially they were regulars . That’s an assumption.” • SAE4 “And I think he was very restrained in not pushing the guy earlier , but you know, that’s – he was trying to be professional I guess. But that’s an assumption, not an observation – objection your honour – (laughing).” • SAE5 “There’s no indication as why he’s asking him to get off. You don’t, you can’t assume any reason, cause you know, you could assume one side that he’s done something wrong , and you could assume the other side that the bus driver doesn’t want that people on his bus . It’s something that you can’t assume there.” 32 16
3/06/2020 YM participants focused more SAE participants focused more on non-visible aspects (such on observable aspects, and as attitude and relationship) marked their and tended not to mark the difference between inferences/conclusions observable and ‘inference’ 33 2. Reflections about observing 34 17
3/06/2020 Comment on role as observer 35 • SAE participants introduced themselves as an observer into the narrative on 23 instances. • YM participants on 8 instances (4 by YM1). On no occasion did YM participants articulate where their attention or focus was while viewing the video. 36 18
3/06/2020 Reference to the video medium 37 • SAE participants made 33 distinct, separate references to the video itself (rather than the story) • No YM participant made a reference to the video in the retelling of the story. • 1 participant mentioned ‘picture’ on two occasions, in a way synonymous with ‘story’. • “I’ll tell yous about the first part of that picture that we watched.” 38 19
3/06/2020 YM participants SAE participants focused on the analysed how they story watched the story SAE speakers appear more credible, and are able to more easily identify reasons for why their story may have inconsistencies or limitations. 39 3. Recalling speech acts 40 20
3/06/2020 41 42 21
3/06/2020 • In contrast, YM participants use much fewer strategies when recalling speech. • 1) generally reported speech “The bus driver was telling one male to get out, to get out of the bus” • 2) a broad categorisation of the speech; “swearing” or “arguing”. 43 SAE speakers frequently qualified YM speakers didn’t their recollection of generally do this. speech. In Standard English, direct speech = assumption of attempted verbatim recall. 44 22
3/06/2020 Insertion of speech by YM participants • Original video; 45 46 23
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