Multilingualism and multiculturalism

Developing opportunities for language education - and education about the value of language education - for adults is also important, as their views influence both politicians and their own children. Using technology to support distance and flexible language learning offers significant potential in this area - as the success of my former colleagues in languages at UNE can demonstrate.

One advantage of online learning in the teaching of languages is that - if done well - learners are not restricted by geography in terms of accessibility AND they can be encouraged to develop their skills interacting directly with members of the target language community (for example, via email, forums, skype, gaming, Second Life, MOOs, and so on). An additional advantage of looking to online educational options to support language learning is the potential for teaching a greater diversity of languages across a widespread population of learners.

In terms of which languages to teach (and presumably to fund), priorities would normally be based on interest and/or relevance. However, these priorities are not necessarily easy to identify: Australia is close to Asia, but also retains strong ties to Europe. Officially supporting multilingualism and multiculturalism, as a basic principle on a federal and state level, would be a significant symbolic step in acknowledging the diverse cultural and linguistic contributions of the diverse populations who contributed to the development of Australia. Funding for research on current and future language priorities by state, nationally and internationally could also help to address this question.

Language education does not have to be a “one-size-fits-all” issue.