Prácticas e interacciones multilingües tempranas entre la población aborigen australiana

Abstract

Previous studies on children’s language acquisition have predominantly focused on monolingual or bilingual situations where language differentiation is clear. However; little is known about multilingual contexts; where several languages and/or dialects and pervasive code-switching represent the major sources of language input. This article presents the results of a longitudinal study which examines the kind of input Australian aboriginal children from three different communities receive before entering school. The input to which the children are exposed is rich; multilingual and very varied; not only across the three communities; but also across speakers and even within speakers. The results seem to confirm the steady loss of traditional languages and the emergence of creole and mixed languages; which have become the first language for the younger interlocutors of the children under scrutiny.