Build gradually with quality.
A solid, sustainable program of Asia literacy must begin by initially teaching three target languages nationally: Japanese, Indonesian and Mandarin Chinese10. These are the languages of our two biggest trading partners and our closest neighbour.
The Strategy must initially concentrate its resources on building a world-class program of Japanese, Indonesian and Chinese language teaching across all levels of education in a limited number of schools, colleges and universities.
Over time, it should expand the number of languages offered and the number of schools, colleges and universities teaching Asian languages, while maintaining close attention to quality and continuity of instruction.
Phase One
Phase One will take five years
The first stage of Phase One will see the establishment of the National Asian Languages Institute, and the commencement of its important work as a foundation for expanding quality Asian language programmes. This preliminary phase will also include the consolidation of existing target Asian Languages programmes.
It will see the building of world-class teaching of each of the target languages in at least one Preparatory, Primary and Secondary school in each education district across Australia.
Schools and universities will be invited to bid for access to the funding and resources provided under the strategy. Those that are successful will need to make the following commitments:
- All students up to Year 10 will receive at least 150 minutes of instruction in the target language per week11.
- Sufficient teachers, language instruction rooms and resources will be dedicated to the teaching of the target language12.
- The teaching of the target language will occur within the framework of the national syllabus for instruction in the target language.
- Proper resources will be devoted to addressing the needs of students with different levels of language proficiency.
- Substantial commitment exists among key stakeholders: the Principal, other teachers, parents and students13.
Scholarships and transport assistance will be provided to assist those families who want their children to learn a target language to attend those schools teaching it; and to assist families who dont want their children to learn the target language to attend other schools.
Participating schools, colleges and universities will be regularly reviewed by the National Asian Languages Institute, and their continued funding will depend on their meeting these standards.
Phase One aims, after five years, to have doubled the number of Preparatory, Primary and Secondary school students studying Japanese, Indonesian or Mandarin across Australia.
Phase Two
Phase Two will take ten years.
Guided by a comprehensive review of Phase One, Phase Two will double the number of Preparatory, Primary and Secondary schools teaching Japanese, Indonesian and Mandarin in each education district across Australia.
It will also expand the number of target languages taught in each education district across Australia. At least one Primary and Secondary School in each education district will be funded to teach Hindi, Korean or Arabic.
Both the expansion in the number of languages taught and the number of institutions teaching them will maintain its focus on world-class standards of languages instruction.
Schools, colleges and universities will be invited to bid for Phase Two funding. Those which are successful will have made the same commitments as were made by successful institutions in Phase One.
Phase Two seeks, after 15 years, to have tripled the number of Preparatory, Primary and Secondary students studying an Asian language.
Phase 3
Phase Three will take fifteen years
Phase Three will begin with a comprehensive review of Phase Two. It will seek to double the number of institutions providing world-class instruction in Japanese, Indonesian, and Mandarin in each education district across Australia.
It will seek to increase the number of institutions teaching Hindi, Korean and Arabic in each education district.
Phase Three will provide funding to increase the number of languages taught at all levels of education and in all education districts across Australia. Priority will be given to the most widely-spoken world languages outside of the target languages14.
Phase Three will also provide funding for world-class instruction in more Asian languages, including Vietnamese, Thai, Farsi, Bengali, Cambodian, Lao and Burmese. Instruction in each of these languages will be funded only in education districts in which at least one institution at each level of education commits to the instruction of that language to the national standard.
Both the expansion in the number of languages taught and the number of institutions teaching them will maintain its focus on world-class standards of languages instruction.
Schools, colleges and universities will be invited to bid for Phase Three funding. Those, which are successful, will have made the same commitments as were made by successful institutions in Phases One and Two.
Phase Three seeks, after 30 years, to have quadrupled the number of Australian students at all levels of education studying an Asian language in each education district across Australia.
Phase Three also seeks, after 30 years, to have arrived at a point where multilingualism is regarded as natural and desirable among most Australians.
Footnotes
- Why study asian languages (PDF 329k)
- Across the nation, teachers spend 38% of their instructional time teaching English, 18% teaching maths. The other six Key Learning Areas share the rest of the instructional time, with languages averaging only 2%. Increasingly, 'language awareness' programs are taking the place of pure language programs. In 2006 a majority, 54%, of programs focused on culture in this way. Also, only 2% of LOTE programs ran for at least the recommended 150 minutes a week. [Andrew Ferguson, 'Languages for Australia’s Future,' November 2007]. From ‘An Investigation of the State and Nature of Languages in Australian Schools’ 2007
- Review of teacher education for language teachers Released 2007 ACER
- For example, the Leading Languages Education Project is a professional learning project that aims to support Principals and school leaders in the crucial role they play in implementing an effective languages programme.
- Leading Languages Education website
Source: Ethnologue, 13th Edition, and other sources (Hindustani encompasses multiple dialects, including Hindi and Urdu).Most widely spoken languages in the world Language Approximate number of speakers Chinese (Mandarin) 1,075,000,000 English 514,000,000 Hindustani 496,000,000 Spanish 425,000,000 Russian 275,000,000 Arabic 256,000,000 Bengali 215,000,000 Portuguese 194,000,000 Malay-Indonesian 176,000,000 French 129,000,000