Ten percent of the population in the New England and North West region was born overseas, and many are raising their children to speak two languages, says a Linguistics lecturer from the University of New England.
UNE’s Doctor Liz Ellis will be holding a community workshop on Saturday the 11th of October looking at how family languages can be passed on to children while maintaining English for school and work.
It is part of a research project looking at how families maintain two languages in a regional area.
“We are still looking for three families in Moree to participate. We have been following six families from Armidale and Tamworth for the last few months but need volunteers in Moree.”
Doctor Ellis said the research is looking at how families sustain a second language in regional areas when they don’t have a big speaking community around them compared to the city.
“We are also looking into what extent new technologies are helping children maintain their second language. For example, they may use Skype to speak to Grandma in Greece.”
Research shows being bilingual enhances learning, with children being more creative and flexible in their thought patterns.
“I’m encouraging any bilingual families in Moree with children aged under four to get involved in this research,” said Doctor Ellis.
She said language loss impacts on family life and identity.
“This is especially the case when children can’t understand their grandparents , or when an elderly parent loses their English and can no longer communicate with their adult children. This can cause a real family disconnect.”
Any bilingual families in Moree are encouraged to attend the FREE workshop being held at the Moree Community Library on Saturday the 11th October.
Media interviews:
UNE Linguistics Lecturer, Doctor Liz Ellis, 6773 3639 or 0409 244 247