Language Practices of Migrant Youth

Louisa Willoughby is a Senior Lecturer in Linguistics at Monash University. Her work focuses on the intersecting areas of language and identity, language policy and service provision for speakers of minority languages, particularly in health and education settings.

• 1. Introduction – A 21st Century View on Language Maintenance2. Language and Learning at Ferndale Secondary College3. Interlude – Contextualising the Case Studies4. Being A ‘Good Vietnamese/ Cambodian Girl’: Lan, Van and Putrea5. Hybrid Ways of Being: Katrina, Nhung And Nary6. Chinese and Australian: Cathy and Mei-Yee7. Conclusion and Implications

'The author problematises traditional notions of language maintenance and shift and the very concept of "heritage" languages to bring attention to the multiplicity of factors intervening in shaping the language choices. Very little is known about the impact of the homogenising effect of English-medium mainstream schooling in contemporary overtly multicultural societies. This volume allows us to discover this through the experiences of Vietnamese and Cambodian youth in Australia. This volume is a must for researchers interested in unpacking the everyday language ecology of immigrant communities.' — Aniko Hatoss, University of New South Wales, Australia 'This timely and highly accessible book looks at language practices through a range of lenses - with a focus on a multilingual and multicultural school setting in Australia. It brings new light to the way migrant teenagers – from a Southeast Asian background – learn and use language to express themselves and their identity. The volume which valuably combines a range of research methodologies is an important contribution to understanding the place of heritage languages in the everyday life of young people.' — Professor John Hajek, Research Unit for Multilingualism and Cross-cultural Communication (RUMACCC), University of Melbourne, Australia