Language and Identity Are Inextricably Linked. How Is This Reflected in the Current Australian Context?
There are many indicators of identity by which we are made known individually, socially and culturally; the best of these would be language and how it has shown great flexibility in accommodating the needs of people. Through language people have been able to establish their identities and cultivate friendships with others who share the same common ground. By looking at accents such as Broad Australian English, slang and phonological features as they apply to Australian varieties, we can see how it has forged solidarity and assisted in creating an identity on an individual and national scale.
Broad Australian English (BAE) is a language variety unique to Australia. Despite being spoken by a minority of Australian population today, it has a great deal of cultural credibility and how it represents the care free, laid back nature of Australia. This can be shown in a number of ways such as the standard use of the plural form ”youse”, doubly marked comparatives and superlatives (most ugliest), and the increase use of ‘of’ in place of modal verb forms, “could, should and would”. In addition, the use of BAE and how it is used disproportionately in the media further aids the easy going society Australia has hoped to represent, for example, the ‘Frank Walker from the National Tiles’ ad shows an over exaggeration of the broad accent, “[Hælʊ], this is Frank [Walka] from National Toils” as opposed to Standard English, “Hello, this is Frank Walker from National Tiles” to which marks the “no worries” attitude that Australians have called their own in establishing their identity.
In an interview with Australian NRL rugby player, Billy Slater in 2011 his accent was evident of BAE with constant elision (trainin’, runnin’, got ‘em goin’) and merging of words like “y’[naʊ]” rather than the standard, “You know”. Compared to the interviewer who had a general accent, Billy Slater’s “ocker” accent was clearly distinctive, to which he was able to give the idea that he was a “chilled
Broad Australian English (BAE) is a language variety unique to Australia. Despite being spoken by a minority of Australian population today, it has a great deal of cultural credibility and how it represents the care free, laid back nature of Australia. This can be shown in a number of ways such as the standard use of the plural form ”youse”, doubly marked comparatives and superlatives (most ugliest), and the increase use of ‘of’ in place of modal verb forms, “could, should and would”. In addition, the use of BAE and how it is used disproportionately in the media further aids the easy going society Australia has hoped to represent, for example, the ‘Frank Walker from the National Tiles’ ad shows an over exaggeration of the broad accent, “[Hælʊ], this is Frank [Walka] from National Toils” as opposed to Standard English, “Hello, this is Frank Walker from National Tiles” to which marks the “no worries” attitude that Australians have called their own in establishing their identity.
In an interview with Australian NRL rugby player, Billy Slater in 2011 his accent was evident of BAE with constant elision (trainin’, runnin’, got ‘em goin’) and merging of words like “y’[naʊ]” rather than the standard, “You know”. Compared to the interviewer who had a general accent, Billy Slater’s “ocker” accent was clearly distinctive, to which he was able to give the idea that he was a “chilled