Exploring and facilitating effective intercultural communication in early childhood assessment contexts

Emily's PhD research explores the perspectives of Yolŋu (Aboriginal) families and early childhood service providers (e.g. health providers, educators) about the ways they communicate during Yolŋu children’s assessments. Emily is working collaboratively and interculturally with Yolŋu researchers in North-East Arnhem Land using video-reflexive ethnography, indepth interviews in participants’ preferred languages and collaborative analysis. Together we are co-creating and piloting accessible resources to share findings about respectful and meaningful intercultural communication in early childhood contexts.
Our working title for this research is: Waŋanhamirr ga ḻarrum maḻŋmaḻŋ’maram rrambaŋi nhaltjan ga yothu ŋuthan - Talking together to find out about how a child is growing up. Emily’s supervisors are AProf Anne Lowell, AProf Ḻäwurrpa Maypilama, Prof Lyn Fasoli, Dr Sarah Ireland and Dr Sally Hewat. This research has been approved by the Charles Darwin University Human Research Ethics Committee.