Language in Australia and New Zealand

Australia and New Zealand are hosts to hundreds of languages whose interaction is at the heart of Language in Australia and New Zealand. A Bibliography and Research Database (1788 - 2006). English constitutes the natural center, and the full range of writings from around the globe is covered from 1788 to 2006, including dictionaries and glossaries. Comprehensive coverage is given to the other languages - indigenous, European, Asian, and contact languages - that have emerged throughout the history of these nations, especially Kriol, Torres Strait Creole, Norfolk and Maori English. The database includes themes such as the interaction of English with indigenous and non-English migrant languages, language maintenance, shift, and loss, psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic studies, language policies and educational responses, and Australian and New Zealand sign language. Onomastics and teaching materials will be added in the next installment.

The partial annotation of entries regarding their specific significance, second or re-publications and various back-up databases on names, institutions, etc., avoid time-consuming searches elsewhere. The database includes the often difficult to trace reports from governments or other institutions as well as Master's and Ph.D. theses. In these cases, details on accessibility and location are added.

The database is an indispensable tool for professionals in a wide array of fields - students of language, socio- and psycholinguistics, contact linguistics, applied and educational linguistics. It is of interest to a general public concerned with their language(s), place names, education and language. It is an essential research planning tool and an element in evaluating excellency in research.