Kriol of North Australia: A Language Coming of Age. Work Papers of SIL-AAB, Series A, Volume 10

A study of North Australia's Kriol language situation identifies the language, its speakers, its functions, and the sociopolitical factors in its emergence as an autonomous language. The first chapter reviews the development of the linguistic field concerning pidgins and creoles, looking especially at the concepts developed to explain the rise and decline of these languages worldwide. Chapter two traces the general development of English-related forms of Aboriginal speech throughout Australia and establishes the position of Kriol relative to Torres Strait Creole and Aboriginal English. The distribution of speakers, the relative use of Kriol in their communities, and variations in Kriol are also described. The third chapter considers whether or not Kriol is an Aboriginal language, based on Aboriginal use of and attitudes toward it. Chapter four examines the effects of government policies in Kriol's development, focusing on one Aboriginal community where Kriol has been spoken as a native language for four generations and the administrative, educational, medical, and church entities within it. The final chapter documents Kriol use by the government in communication and education, especially in a bilingual education program. The importance of Kriol in future educational planning is also discussed. A number of maps and diagrams are included, as well as an extensive bibliography. (MSE)