Making the case for languages

Young people growing up in Europe have taken it for granted for many years that they will learn at least one language other than their mother tongue.

For many they will learn two or more languages.

Canadians are expected to be bi-lingual and the United States is rapidly becoming bi-lingual due to the huge influx of Spanish-speaking migrants in recent decades.

Similarly, in Asia there is a growing expectation that young people will be not only bi-lingual but multi-lingual.

In many Asian countries English is a compulsory second language from an early age, and can be a prerequisite to university entrance.

In contrast to the growing expectation internationally that people will speak more than one language, there is paradoxically a declining interest in Australia among school and university students.

I have argued in a series of speeches over the past few years that there needs to be an overhaul of language eduction in Australia.

Our basic educational skills should include modern foreign language education for all students.

Studies show that learning another language improves the academic skills of students by enhancing their reading, writing and mathematical abilities as well as providing cognitive benefits.

Languages should be at the heart of learning and should be taught to children as early as practicable.

It could be argued that the second half of the 20^th century and the first decade of the 21^st century eased the pressure on Australian second language training as the English language has become the Lingua Franca of international business.

The use of interpreters is in decline at formal meetings between international officials as an increasing number of discussions are conducted in English.

Even when interpreters are present, it is often the case that the official representative corrects the interpretation if it is not strictly accurate, revealing a deeper knowledge of the English language than might otherwise appear.

However it would be foolishly complacent for Australia to believe that as nation we can rely indefinitely on this trend.

English is both a beautiful and a practical language that we all should master, but learning a second language would expose young people to new horizons.

It is vital to Australia's future trade and international relations interests to ensure that we maximise the ability of our people to converse in alternative languages.

For example, Indonesia is one of our closest neighbours, yet as I noted in a speech to the Australia Indonesia Association last year, a recent audit found that 99 per cent of high school students who study Indonesian have dropped it by their final year.

This is trend is matched at the tertiary level. According to reports, enrolments for Indonesian courses across the nation have plummeted by 30 per cent between 2002 and 2009.

I also note that a number of submissions to the Government's White Paper on Asia have added to the call for enhancement of language training.

Balai Bahasa Indonesia has noted that "in an Asia-centric world all Australians will need to have at least the level of knowledge of Asian countries that generations hitherto have had of European ones. Asian language competence at all levels, especially the advanced levels, also needs to be fostered."

Similar sentiments were expressed by Professor David Hill of Murdoch University in a recent report titled "Indonesian Language in Australian Universities".

Under the Howard Government, federal funding agreements were adopted to prevent Australian universities from arbitrarily closing down Indonesian language courses without the approval of the federal government.

As Minister for Education during 2006-2007, I recognised the strategic importance of building up our Indonesian language capacity to ensure that Australia's national interests would be advanced.

It is concerning that one of Julia Gillard's decisions as Education Minister in 2009 was to approve a request from Curtin University to abandon its Indonesian language program.

Given the importance of our relationship, the proximity of our shores, and the shared set of challenges and opportunities that confront us, Australia should aspire to lead the world in understanding the issues that drive Indonesian society and its government.

This situation applies not only to Indonesia but to other Asian languages.

There have been a number of calls for greater Asian language literacy such as from Tim Lindsey, the director of the Asian Law centre at the University of Melbourne. He has noted that in NSW only 9% of HSC students were enrolled in a second language. This is a theme common to a wide range of groups from the Association for Learning Mandarin in Australia Inc to Universities Australia.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has argued in its education and training blueprint Skills for a Nation that "to effectively participate in a globalised world there should be the compulsory learning of a foreign language".

This stance has garnered strong support from groups such as the Asia Education Foundation and the Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations.

If elected to government, the Coalition will work with the States and Territories with the aim of making it compulsory to learn a foreign language from 7 years of age or earlier.

A Coalition Government will also work with the States and Territories to re-examine and reinforce incentives to encourage high school students to study foreign languages which will also assist in increasing the pool of language teachers.

These policy initiatives will be essential for the prospects and opportunities for our young people who will be working in a world where linguistic skills are valued.