By using the linguistic culture capital, Australian students can further develop their network with people from the global society, and therefore increase their social capital. Having a second language equip all Australian students to further develop their linguistic cultural capital, so that they will have tools to develop and enrich the social, cultural and economic relations with its neighbours (Welch, 2018). These neighbours including China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and European countries where Australian migrants came from: Germany, Italy, Greece, Eastern Europe and the Arab world (Welch, 2018). Being able to speak another language allows Australian students to communicate and build relationships with individuals who come to Australia with …show more content…
Australia is considered to be falling behind in language teaching compared with other OECD countries, especially for New South Wales (NSW). According to the OECD report: Education at a Glance 2010, the average number of the compulsory curriculum in regard to modern foreign languages and social studies for students aged between nine to 11 in OECD countries was 8 per cent, while the number of NSW students was zero per cent (Publishing, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, & OECD, 2010). In NSW, language learning is not compulsory between kindergarten to year 6 (Board of Studies New South Wales, …show more content…
Through learning a second language, Australian students can develop inter-cultural understanding, which helps them to learn the global society and the connections among areas and cultures (MCEETYA, 2005). Australian students’ views of the world could be broadened as they learn to view the world from the numerous perspectives gained through the study of second or more language they learn (MCEETYA, 2005). As the Australian students develop their cultural competence and intelligence, have a better understanding of the diverse culture and multiple ways of being and doing, they would be more respectful to other cultures rather than discriminate against them (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, 2009; MCEETYA,
2. Cummins, J. and Schecter, S. (2003). Multilingual Education in Practice: Using diversity as a resource, Ch.3: Valuing Multilingual and multicultural approaches to learning, pp. 32-55.
Most people who grow up with a foreign language spoken in there house grow up with an advantage in society. This advantage can only occur once the individual learning that foreign language also learns the dominant language spoken in that country. Once both of these languages are learned and mastered, the individual has now placed them se...
Bilingualism can be defined as the ability to speak and/or write in two languages. In Australia English is the main language although in 1996, statistics show that 15% (2.5 million people) of the Australian population communicate in a language other than English at home and 42% of the population is born overseas (Australian Bureau Statistics, 1996). Most recently there are around 22 million Australians that speak in approximately 400 different languages (Australian Bureau Statistics, 2009). These statistics highlight the fact that there is an increasing rate of people who communicate in more than one language hence language is increasingly changing throughout society (Arthur, 2001). This suggests the need for support and understanding of bilingualism within children, families and the community.
Australia is a country made up of a diverse and multi-cultural population derived from different backgrounds and beliefs. In Australia there are issues of cross-cultural conflict in everyday lives, as well as in working environments. Issues of cross-cultural conflict include communication, cultures, religion and non-verbal behaviours. Without an understanding of conflicts, misunderstandings in the wider community can occur. Language can cause a cross cultural conflict in the workplace among workers as they may not understand what instructions have been given and as a result miscommunication issues arise. This could end up with angst and conflict between people and will create a division within the work environment. To overcome the issues of cross-cultural conflict and resolve situations that may arise, workplaces should show acceptance and empathy to the diverse cultures that are in the community. As a population consisting of a range of diverse cultures and backgrounds society need to be open and respectful of other people’s cultural differences and attitudes. This allows all members of the community to belong and be accepted to a harmonious multicultural country.
Literacy is an integral part of the Australian Curriculum encouraging cognitive and social development as it lays the foundation for future learning. A combination of age appropriate, challenging and educationally relevant activities used on a regular basis alongside supportive instruction will support the development of language and more specifically SAE. It can be concluded that effective instruction combined with culturally and linguistically adapted content incorporated effectively into the curriculum, contributes to higher learning, enabling students to reach their full potential.
In the last few decades, New Zealand has seen a remarkable shift in demographic, resulting in an increasingly diverse social, cultural and linguistic composition. Where before New Zealanders may have only rarely come into contact with people of other cultures, or people who spoke other languages, this is no longer the case. The global world we inhabit demands more of us; it is no longer an option to be culturally naïve, nor is it an option to be absolutely monolingual. This bibliography aims to identify a number of key texts concerning the field of teaching world languages, while also investigating the relationship between the teaching of world languages, culture, identity and how educators can work to consolidate all three in their practice and instruction.
• the English language, as the national language, is an important unifying element of Australian society.”
Nevertheless, having two official languages does not restrict an individual from learning a different language or communicating with it – in fact, it is favored. What having two official languages does however, it allows people from different backgrounds to understand each other and their worldviews: creating a sense of
Doing this allows the individual to be aware of why and how culture affect their lives and the way they interact with others from differing cultures (Quappe & Cantatore, 2003). It is this awareness that enables individuals to develop cultural intelligence, which is the understanding of how individual culture may be construed by others and how to adapt behaviours in order to improve communication. An understanding of both these concepts allows individuals to develop strategies to implement to avoid miscommunication between themselves and people of differing cultures. The development of both cultural self-awareness and cultural intelligence is integral to efficient and acceptable cross-cultural communication (Brislin, Worthley & Macnab,
Just because other perspectives are incorporated in the classroom, this doesn’t mean that everyone will become more understanding and appreciative of other cultures. When multicultural practices have rigorous standards, allow the advancement of social communications with other cultures, and allow the advancement social justice concepts both inside and outside of the classroom, this is when students will become more appreciative of other cultures (Ladson-Billings, 1995, p.162).
Language has a major role indexing identity for both individuals and societies as a whole by expressing the users’ beliefs and influencing external perception of the users. Thus, the Australian identity is bound by the Australian usage of language, particularly the informal language the country is known for. It is evident that all countries utilise features of informal language in both written and spoken forms of communication. However, informal language is predominantly recognised as a characteristic of Australian language and culture. Stereotypes of Australian identity often depict an easy-going, ‘can do’ attitude. Most Australians embrace egalitarianism, and the wide use of informal language with fellow Australians reflects this. The prominence
Globally competent teachers facilitate authentic opportunities for migrant students to acquire knowledge and understandings, and for all students to learn about global cultures and different points of view. The facilitation of a classroom that encourages students to become active participants in their own learning through inquiry and posing questions also promotes greater accountability and responsibility. “We all interpret the world around us through the lens of our own cultural background, values and experience… We cannot achieve a full understanding of any issue without exploring all perspectives” (Oxfam Great Britain, 2015, p. 9). When an education is successful in instilling global competencies and intercultural understandings (ACARA, 2017), teachers and all students, including migrant students, experience mutual benefits. An “inclusive education ensures that schools are supportive and engaging places for all school community members.
Understanding how to effectively communication with another culture is a crucial part of living in a multicultural society. Intercultural communication is the “face-to-face contact between people from different cultural backgrounds” (Lewis and Slade 2000, 124). It involves the exchange of meaning between two parties from two differing cultural groups. In the modern world, it is virtually impossible to avoid communication with a member of a cultural society not your own, particularly in multicultural countries like Australia or the United States. Since the end of World War II, Australia has become an increasingly multicultural nation, with people of other countries, particularly those of Southern European and South East Asia descent, becoming “significant to the growth and changing ethnic composition of Australia’s population” (Knight and Heazle 2011, 8). Similarly, the United States, who are seen as the original Western ‘settler society’, have large minorities of Hispanics...
In today’s society, especially in the United States, most people are monolingual English speakers. As a result, these monolingual speakers are at a significant disadvantage compared to those who speak more than one language fluently. This disadvantage is crucial to realize since it is important to learn how individuals and the nation can be enhanced. Multilingual speakers have an advantage in global affairs that involve countries that speak different languages. Speaking multiple languages makes it easier to communicate with people when involved in foreign affairs. Those who speak multiple languages are also more aware of other cultures in society. Monolingual speakers are not as exposed to other cultures and have difficulty understanding or even recognizing them. Furthermore, being multilingual increases your
Wade, P. and Marshall, H., with O’Donnell, S. (2009) Primary Modern Foreign Languages Longitudinal Survey of Implementation of National Entitlement to Language Learning at Key Stage 2. RR 127. London: DCSF Publications.