New Language New Life

International migration and the social diversity it creates constitute one of the key global challenges of the early 21st century. Language and communication barriers can compromise equitable access in diverse societies, and where socioeconomic disadvantage becomes entrenched, it poses risks to security, productivity and quality of life. Clearly this is an important issue, and migrants and their language choices are heavily politicized; though political and media debates often rely on anecdotal conjecture or are ill-informed.

Life in a New Language examines the language learning and settlement experiences of 130 migrants to Australia from 34 different countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America over a period of 20 years. Reusing data shared from six separate sociolinguistic ethnographies, the book illuminates participants’ lived experience of learning and communicating in a new language, finding work, and doing family. Additionally, participants’ experiences with racism and identity making in a new context are explored. The research uncovers significant hardship but also migrants’ courage and resilience. The book has implications for language service provision, migration policy, open science, and social justice movements.

Ingrid Piller is Distinguished Professor of Applied Linguistics at Macquarie University, Sydney, and founding editor of Language on the Move.

Donna Butorac is a Senior Lecturer and Course Coordinator of Anthropology and Sociology at Curtin University, Perth.

Emily Farrell is the Global Commercial Director for Open Research at Taylor & Francis.

Loy Lising is a Senior Lecturer in Linguistics at Macquarie University, Sydney.

Shiva Motaghi-Tabari is an Honorary Research Fellow in Linguistics at Macquarie University, Sydney.

Vera Williams Tetteh is an Honorary Research Fellow in Linguistics at Macquarie University, Sydney.