Life in a New Language

Reviews / Votes

This volume breaks new ground by focusing on Doings: a group of diverse researchers collaboratively doing close listening and looking over 20 years, as adult immigrants to Australia engage in doing life, things, words, family, and work in a new language. The result is not only new understandings of the participants' self-making, but also the making of a new research trajectory that focuses not simply on the learning of a language, but on humanity doing life in language."
Ofelia Garcia, The Graduate Center, City University of New York) This is a moving book that represents the voices of migrants on their challenges and successes across different kinds of boundaries. It embodies impersonal structural and geopolitical pressures as negotiated in the dreams and aspirations of migrants. The authors share findings from decades-long separate research projects to develop richer insights, as a model for data sharing and ethical research."
Suresh Canagarajah, Pennsylvania State University Without any exaggeration this is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I am blown away by not only the variety of stories, but also how they are analyzed with keen insight and clear links to policy/planning, all without ever getting bogged down in academia-ese. I was even able to see myself in many of the stories, despite that I obviously came to Australia with both English background proficiency and the "non-immigrant" image you discuss in the text. Noting how others dealt with their experiences was eye-opening, and made me appreciate even further the hard work that goes in to joining a new community who speak a different language than you, or even a different English than the one you expect. * Dr. Wes Robertson, Discipline Chair, Languages and Cultures, School of International Studies, Macquarie University * I wanted to congratulate the whole writing team for the fantastic book that you have written, that I enjoyed thoroughly! I loved the content, the structure, the style, and the new approach of data sharing, a real breakthrough. It is truly inspiring and has given me lots of food for thought for what I am currently working on. * Associate Professor Antonia Rubino, Sydney University * The richness and comprehensiveness of the data and the use of longitudinal approach of the study, are particularly noteworthy. [...] these achievements rely on the integration of data across six previous sociolinguistic ethnographies, which represent a significant methodological innovation for future ethnographic and anthropological studies. This data-sharing approach is not only adventurous and bold, but it also offers a valuable reference for researchers in cross-project, cross-field, and even cross-disciplinary collaborations, while also paving the way for the humanization and personalization of immigrant research. * Changchun Li, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra Journal of Teaching and Learning Languages and Literature * Piller et al. show that giving participants a greater role in determining the concepts and categories emphasized in research can give voice and texture to the lived experiences of language learners. [...] empowering language communities to maintain their heritage language and giving participants a greater voice in research can help to subvert language hierarchies and lead to more harmonious relationships between language speakers. * Michelle Tourbier, Journal of Multicultural Discourses * The book [is] exemplary on several grounds [...] The authors have broken the barriers in reaching policymakers and the public by presenting research findings in a way so people can enjoy and reflect on their reading and consider how they could facilitate the integration of migrants into the host society [and it] provides an innovative example of data sharing, reusing, and constructing big data in qualitative research following Open Science principles. Readers won't regret the time [...] that they will invest in the reading of Life in a new language [...] whatever your [...] backgrounds, the book will have something to tell you about language, life, migration, and society. * Obaidul Hamid, Associate Professor, University of Queensland, Language Policy * Life in a New Language offers a rich and valuable account of what it means to migrate and live in another language - an account which is generalisable not only to the Australian context but to contexts where migrants face similar social and institutional barriers. The book offers a valuable resource for scholars examining the intersections of language and migration, educators wishing to include a migrant perspective of language learning, and policymakers aiming to develop more inclusive, contextually-informed approaches. * Elise Alberts, Linguist List * This truly amazing book is an excellent demonstration of how studies initially conducted for different purposes can be integrated into powerful narratives. The tone of this collective effort is forceful yet also controlled. After becoming absorbed in the emotionally engaging narratives of migrants' lived experiences with English in Australia, readers may forget that they are reading an academic work. It is only pedagogical features - including 'key points', 'discussionquestions' and 'further reading' - that remind readers of the true purpose of the book. Its many narratives are excellent pedagogical resources that can be used to stimulate discussions among both undergraduate and postgraduate students. * Weijia Yang, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development *