Aboriginal English and Australian First Languages in television dialogue: from screenwriters to audiences

Abstract

This thesis examines how Aboriginal English and Australian First Languages are represented in fictional television dialogue. Fictional media is a critical site of socialisation, and analysis of linguistic representations within this context can reveal the stylistic functions and ideologies of language. While linguistic analysis of film and television language has primarily been undertaken from a ‘product’ perspective (Bednarek & Zago, 2024), this thesis intentionally prioritises analysis of the screenwriter in the creation of linguistic representation and analysis of the audience's interpretation of dialogue. To achieve this, I narrow my focus to the television series Mystery Road (2018-2020) The Warriors (2017) and The Heights (2019-2020) and employ a multi-method approach which includes a corpus analysis of broadcast transcripts alongside a stylistic analysis of shooting scripts, a reception study with British audiences and interviews with screenwriters. Through these methods I consider how language is embedded by writers within screen works received by audiences, from both stylistic and language-ideological perspectives. The results demonstrate a limited use of First Languages, and variable use of Aboriginal English features, consciously and unconsciously deployed within the language of television to fulfill a range of stylistic functions and challenge dominant ideologies. On reception, British audiences demonstrate an unfamiliarity with Aboriginal English, highlighting the importance of television dialogue in communicating ideas about language. This thesis is positioned as a contribution to both linguistic and screenwriting research. With Aboriginal English and First Languages as a case study, the research illuminates how the creative use and consideration of language variation can enrich screen narratives and demonstrates the benefits of incorporating both creation and consumption perspectives for a holistic understanding of telecinematic language.