Immigration, technology and literacy: key challenges for language policy in a changing Japan. Australia needs a sophisticated understanding of social and cultural dynamics in a regional partner with whom we have substantial economic, political and cultural relations. This project will problematise current language policy in Japan to take account of important recent areas of social transformation and associated key cultural beliefs about language. It will produce a body of significant individual ....Immigration, technology and literacy: key challenges for language policy in a changing Japan. Australia needs a sophisticated understanding of social and cultural dynamics in a regional partner with whom we have substantial economic, political and cultural relations. This project will problematise current language policy in Japan to take account of important recent areas of social transformation and associated key cultural beliefs about language. It will produce a body of significant individual research and policy recommendations; will bring together high profile international researchers and Japanese policy makers and educators in two collaborative exercises which will strengthen links between the two countries at both academic and government levels; and will launch the research career of a postgraduate student. Read moreRead less
The measurement of primary traits in second language oral proficiency in second language acquisition research. The proposed research will help to inform high-quality learning outcomes for international ESL (English as a Second Language) students and students who study Japanese or Spanish as a second language in Australian universities. Improved effectiveness in current second language teaching pedagogy will result from a deeper understanding of the role that the key language traits (syntactic co ....The measurement of primary traits in second language oral proficiency in second language acquisition research. The proposed research will help to inform high-quality learning outcomes for international ESL (English as a Second Language) students and students who study Japanese or Spanish as a second language in Australian universities. Improved effectiveness in current second language teaching pedagogy will result from a deeper understanding of the role that the key language traits (syntactic complexity, lexical range, accuracy and fluency) play in the attainment of advanced proficiency. Read moreRead less
Tackling the issues of low numbers of Australia's advanced users of Japanese: Reasons and strategies. A sound relationship between Australia and Japan is critical to Australia. Their key relations in trade, foreign policy and cultural exchange require an advanced understanding of Japanese. However, Australia is not producing sufficient numbers of advanced users of Japanese. This project creates and implements strategies to develop more Australian learners into advanced users of Japanese, thus c ....Tackling the issues of low numbers of Australia's advanced users of Japanese: Reasons and strategies. A sound relationship between Australia and Japan is critical to Australia. Their key relations in trade, foreign policy and cultural exchange require an advanced understanding of Japanese. However, Australia is not producing sufficient numbers of advanced users of Japanese. This project creates and implements strategies to develop more Australian learners into advanced users of Japanese, thus contributing to Australia's knowledge base in language education and applied linguistics. The PhD project will train a well-rounded Australian applied/educational linguist, equipping them with in-depth knowledge of current learners as well as fundamental research tools in both quantitative and qualitative analysis. Read moreRead less
THE ROLE OF CELL SURFACE GLYCOSAMINOGLYCANS IN FLAVIVIRUS BIOLOGY: VIRUS ENTRY, TROPISM, VIRULENCE, AND ANTIVIRALS
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$493,764.00
Summary
The flaviviruses are a group of viruses mostly transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes or ticks to vertebrate hosts. They have a world-wide distribution and many flaviviruses are important human and veterinary pathogens. Dengue virus is the most important flavivirus in terms of disease frequency, causing >50 million cases of dengue fever, annually, in tropical and subtropical countries. It has been estimated that 2.5 billion people are at risk of dengue virus infection. Japanese enceph ....The flaviviruses are a group of viruses mostly transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes or ticks to vertebrate hosts. They have a world-wide distribution and many flaviviruses are important human and veterinary pathogens. Dengue virus is the most important flavivirus in terms of disease frequency, causing >50 million cases of dengue fever, annually, in tropical and subtropical countries. It has been estimated that 2.5 billion people are at risk of dengue virus infection. Japanese encephalitis virus is the most important causative agent of viral encephalitis in humans; >35,000 cases of Japanese encephalitis occur annually, with 30-50% mortality and frequent life-long neurological impairment among survivors. Murray Valley encephalitis virus is endemic in northern Australia where it gives rise, in most years, to a small number of human cases of sometimes fatal encephalitis. Dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and Murray Valley encephalitis viruses are a threat to human health in Australia. There is wide-spread speculation that climate change will affect the pattern of transmission of vector-borne pathogens; accordingly , the population at risk of flavivirus infection in Australia (and world-wide) may dramatically increase in future years. This project investigates the role of sulfated sugar molecules present abundantly on cellular surfaces in the biology of flaviviruses. It will address how the binding ability of medically important flaviviruses to these sulfated sugars impacts on the efficiency of virus entry into diverse cell types and, in turn, on the virus ability to cause disease. Ultimately, we aim to exploit the affinity of flavivirus particles to the sulfated sugar molecules on cellular surfaces; we will select synthetic mimetics of these sulfated sugars that block virus attachment to cells, and thus may identify antiviral compounds that may find application as therapeutic agents against flaviviral disease.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240101070
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$351,135.00
Summary
Modernism's East Asia: Semi-Asiatic Literature and Global Modernity . This project aims to harness two important topics in the humanities: the global significance of culturally hybrid nations for global modernity, and the significance of East Asian Studies for World Literature. It compares the reception of French and Russian literatures in the West and East Asia by examining texts written mainly in English, French, and Japanese. Its expected outcome is a reevaluation of East Asia's role in the c ....Modernism's East Asia: Semi-Asiatic Literature and Global Modernity . This project aims to harness two important topics in the humanities: the global significance of culturally hybrid nations for global modernity, and the significance of East Asian Studies for World Literature. It compares the reception of French and Russian literatures in the West and East Asia by examining texts written mainly in English, French, and Japanese. Its expected outcome is a reevaluation of East Asia's role in the conceptualization of global modernism and modernity in the arts and society. Its innovative methodology combines East Asian Studies, English and French Literature, philosophy, and the history of ideas. It intends to fortify Australia's position in the humanities and increase its understanding of its own diverse history.Read moreRead less
Network Diplomacy: Japan's Strategic Responses to the Rise of China and India. Japan's evolving strategic and economic ties with Asia's rising giants, China and India, alongside military and defence ties with the US, shape the region where Australia's economic and strategic interests are embedded. This project benefits Australia by enhancing Australian knowledge of Japan's involvement in the transformation of relations between Asia's major powers (all crucial to Australian interests) so Australi ....Network Diplomacy: Japan's Strategic Responses to the Rise of China and India. Japan's evolving strategic and economic ties with Asia's rising giants, China and India, alongside military and defence ties with the US, shape the region where Australia's economic and strategic interests are embedded. This project benefits Australia by enhancing Australian knowledge of Japan's involvement in the transformation of relations between Asia's major powers (all crucial to Australian interests) so Australia can maximise opportunities and minimise national costs. Importantly, this research also involves Australia in the production of new understandings about regional geo-strategic transformation, in order to contribute to a new international relations paradigm. Read moreRead less
Writing Identity onto the Screen: Subtitles and captions in Japanese media. This project analyses how varieties of language (dialect, gendered speech styles, youth slang) are written onto the screen in audiovisual media as subtitles and impact-captions. It explores the attitudes held by editors, producers and translators towards language which influence this process. It aims to use the Japanese global media, which is well-known for its heavy use of text-on-screen and its rich diversity of langu ....Writing Identity onto the Screen: Subtitles and captions in Japanese media. This project analyses how varieties of language (dialect, gendered speech styles, youth slang) are written onto the screen in audiovisual media as subtitles and impact-captions. It explores the attitudes held by editors, producers and translators towards language which influence this process. It aims to use the Japanese global media, which is well-known for its heavy use of text-on-screen and its rich diversity of language styles, as a case study. This is expected to lead to a greater understanding of textual representation of identity in contemporary digital media.Read moreRead less
The Cultivation of Middle-Class Taste: Reading, Tourism and Education Choices in Urban China. In urban China, high-income professionals and consumers have enormous influence on the development of élite education, travel, and cultural pursuits, but also on the stability of the Party-State. Their choices will materially affect Australian economic strategy, and will impact the socio-political character of the entire region. This project works to support Australian understanding of the tastes, aspir ....The Cultivation of Middle-Class Taste: Reading, Tourism and Education Choices in Urban China. In urban China, high-income professionals and consumers have enormous influence on the development of élite education, travel, and cultural pursuits, but also on the stability of the Party-State. Their choices will materially affect Australian economic strategy, and will impact the socio-political character of the entire region. This project works to support Australian understanding of the tastes, aspirations and national priorities of this new formation: the Chinese middle class. The approach and outcomes of the research will enhance Australia's global position in innovative, relevant Asian scholarship, support good economic strategy, and provide an accurate socio-cultural lens through which to engage with Chinese and regional futures.Read moreRead less
From musume (daughters) to shojo (girls): representations of young women in modern Japanese literature. This will be the first comprehensive study of the transition of young women from musume (daughters) to shôjo (girls) in modern Japanese literature. Intended as a pioneering study of "girl power literature", it will identify neglected texts and authors, clarify the significant changes in literary representations of young women, and recognise the positive and creative aspects in these representa ....From musume (daughters) to shojo (girls): representations of young women in modern Japanese literature. This will be the first comprehensive study of the transition of young women from musume (daughters) to shôjo (girls) in modern Japanese literature. Intended as a pioneering study of "girl power literature", it will identify neglected texts and authors, clarify the significant changes in literary representations of young women, and recognise the positive and creative aspects in these representations. With its scope covering historical and contemporary, and popular and serious, the project will enhance Australia's understanding of Japanese literature, culture, and society. It will also be beneficial to studies of women, children, and adolescence in other communities including Australia.Read moreRead less