Focus areas
Languages and cultures in education
In a context of increasing internationalisation and globalisation, developing capabilities in languages and cultures is an indispensable part of education. The RCLC is committed to a program of research in this area in which the development of learners’ linguistic and intercultural expertise is central. We have adopted this focus because language and culture are fundamentally related and this relationship is at the heart of successful communication across languages and cultures. We develop our focus in a range of aspects of languages education including: language teaching and learning, second language acquisition, language pedagogy, language curriculum theory and development, language-in-education policy, literacies in education, technology in language education, language teacher education, language assessment, and language program evaluation.
Linguistic diversity in international education
International education has become a key priority for educational institutions around the world. The RCLC focuses both on the linguistic and cultural considerations of international students in Australia, and on international debates around linguistic diversity and culture in education more widely. Our research interests in this area include: conceptualisations of international education; internationalisation of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment; intercultural aspects of international education; international education and globalisation; and international education and professional practice.
Language and culture in the professions
Our focus on the professions involves applied research within a broadly educational agenda. In studying the professions we aim to contribute to the development of professions and their capability to address linguistic and cultural issues related to their work. This involves the RCLC in a research agenda which examines how language and culture are implicated in professional settings and the nature of the internationalisation of professional work. For us, the focus is strongly on the intercultural dimensions of professional work and examining how the various cultures involved – national, professional, etc. – interact in workplaces, with a particular focus on the discourse(s) involved.
Social and political contexts of languages and cultures
The investigation of the social and political contexts of languages and cultures is an important part of the overall research agenda of the RCLC. We understand that languages and cultures cannot be researched independently from the contexts in which they are situated, and the Centre actively seeks to engage communities in ongoing dialogue on questions of language and culture that matter to them. In particular, our research interests focus on language planning and policy, the sociology of languages and multilingualism, sociolinguistics, multiculturalism, linguistic and cultural diversity and issues of identity.
Language structures and use
Underpinning any research into languages and their contexts is an understanding of how language is structured, used and interpreted. Within the broader research agenda of the RCLC, members have specialisations in various aspects of general and theoretical linguistics. In all the research of the Centre, there is a focus on the role of language in general and the importance of linguistic analysis.