Article published In: Australian Review of Applied Linguistics: Online-First Articles
Applied Linguistics in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts (1977–2026)
Published online: 30 September 2025
https://doi.org/10.1075/aral.25027.oli
https://doi.org/10.1075/aral.25027.oli
Abstract
The journal, Australian Review of Applied Linguistics (ARAL) was first published in 1977, and in the second issue of that year, its first paper on Applied Linguistics in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts was published. Since then, forty-three articles have been published. In this study, we survey the field of Applied Linguistics in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts as represented in ARAL. We identify the main subfields — namely, language and education; bilingual education; language description; language shift, maintenance and revitalisation; language policy, planning and assessment — and within each explore the themes that have emerged. We highlight the strengths of the field, including the highly collaborative and applied nature of research, but also reflect on the narrow and uneven representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts in ARAL and observe that despite ongoing calls for greater recognition for First Nations peoples’ languages and language rights, there is still much work to be done.
Article outline
- Introduction
- Language and education
- Bilingual education
- Language description
- Language shift, maintenance and revitalisation
- Language policy, planning and assessment
- Concluding reflections and steps forward
- Acknowledgements
- Note
References
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Cited by one other publication
Kohler, Michelle & John West-Sooby
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