An Asian language in every school.

**Phteven** · December 4th, 2012, 08:18 AM

I was going to post this in another thread but I didn't want to derail it so it gets its own thread.....

i believe that all schools have to learn an asian lanuage as part of the new national framework, so id be going with mandarin

This really bugs me. Every school should teach a language; what language they choose is irrelevant. If we turn out a generation of students with no European or Middle Eastern languages we are doing ourselves a huge disservice. Spanish is the most widely spoken language on earth so if a school wants to teach it then it should be able to do so. Lots of schools can't afford multiple languages so they will have to drop languages that they teach well to teach an Asian language and possibly teach it to a lower standard.

**MummyNaomi** · December 4th, 2012, 08:22 AM

Agreed, I can't see why ALL schools need to teach an Asian language. As a multi-cultural society we'd be better off including European languages across curriculums as well

**glenny_c** · December 4th, 2012, 08:30 AM

Have to say I haven't heard this. I know there was a recommendation in the recent "Australia in the Asian century" paper that all schools offer chinese within 5 years but nothing has been made law. I do think however that in business life, students are better off learning mandarin than french for example.

***Efjay*** · December 4th, 2012, 08:36 AM

I don't agree that they *must* teach a second language. I think it just adds pressure to kids who are already struggling. For me it would mean just one more class my kid sits out off because its causes too much stress/pressure. To me it should be an elective that people can opt in for.

For example, my older boys can not do music. They can not handle the noise of a music class & struggle with reading music due to their learning problems. So for that 40 minutes of the day, they sit out & do something else (usually not an alternative educational activity but supervised play on the computer) Add yet another subject like language & its just another area they will struggle with. Its like Religious Education. My kids don't do that either so there is another time slot of their day wasted because its seen as an unfair advantage if the kids who don't attend RE do other educational study so they have to sit & colour in or some other pointless activity.

I might be closed minded in a way but I think school is over complicated as it is. When it comes to kids with special needs, inclusive schooling will never work if they are expected to learn stuff that to many would seem pointless. I could just imagine the arguments my 10 yr old would come out with. Everything has a reason to him, how would I justify the importance of learning a 2nd language when we speak English here at home. He struggles with concepts of future use, so telling him that one day he might be faced with a situation where it would be handy to know just wouldn't cut it.

Plus I did Japanese in school, none of it stuck. A pointless waste of my time if you ask me. If I want to go to Japan or converse with someone in Japanese I will need to learn how too.

Im hesitant in posting this because I don't think I am putting into words how I feel/what I think very well..

**Tinks** · December 4th, 2012, 08:48 AM

All schools have to teach a 2nd language, I wasn't aware that it had to be an Asian language though. The primary school DD goes to teach Japanese but they are part of a program where Japanese university students come over to teach in schools. Another school in this area teach Auslan as their 2nd language. The high school my DS and DD1 go to teach Japanese and German, the students choose 1 when they start year 7.

**Rowellen** · December 4th, 2012, 08:58 AM

I wasn't aware of any requirement for schools to teach a second language. One of the schools I was looking to send DS to didn't offer any. When I asked, they said that if the student wanted to, they could do one by distance ed but they didn't have enough students wanting to learn to justify hiring a teacher but that was for high school, not primary. The primary section didn't offer any at all. I'm in qld though, not sure if that makes a difference.
I did German, French & Japanese at different times at school. I loved learning Japanese & would love for my kids to be able to learn it too. I don't think it is a necessity though.

**little_O** · December 4th, 2012, 09:02 AM

I wasn't aware of any requirement for schools to teach a second language. One of the schools I was looking to send DS to didn't offer any. When I asked, they said that if the student wanted to, they could do one by distance ed but they didn't have enough students wanting to learn to justify hiring a teacher but that was for high school, not primary. The primary section didn't offer any at all. I'm in qld though, not sure if that makes a difference.
I did German, French & Japanese at different times at school. I loved learning Japanese & would love for my kids to be able to learn it too. I don't think it is a necessity though.

I could be wrong but I was under the impression it was compulsory here in SA....(please correct me if I'm wrong

)

**Trillian** · December 4th, 2012, 09:14 AM

Until they bring in the National curriculum then each state is going to be doing it's own thing. It is not compulsory in NSW to teach a second language, nor do I think it should ever be made compulsory. Certainly offer it as an elective and non compulsory subject, but teachers have bigger fish to fry in teaching kids how to read and write in their own language without adding a second on it to that! It's all well and good to say it should be done, but the majority of people simply have no idea how impractical it will be to implement it. Where for example would the school that my kids go to find someone that was not only fluent in Mandarin/any other language, but was also able to teach it? Where would the funding for this come from? Sounds like a bunch of shiney asses sitting in offices making decisions that only suit kids who live in metro areas if you ask me.

**Phteven** · December 4th, 2012, 09:09 AM

All schools have to teach a 2nd language, I wasn't aware that it had to be an Asian language though.

You are correct that at the this time it doesn't have to be Asian however it is part of the new national framework.

Re Mandarin being more useful for business - I wouldn't dispute this however not everyone wants to be involved in international business and other languages are more useful for other things. If you happen to want to sing Opera Italian is more useful and if classical French cuisine is what rocks your boat the obviously French would be your language of choice. And we do significant trade with non-Asian countries if we can't communicate with them then that sucks for business.

I couldn't disagree more that language shouldn't be compulsory. Language doesn't just teach us language it teaches cultural understanding and stimulates parts of the brain that are pretty much dormant unless engaged in language acquisition. Education is about opportunities. Just because I didn't take the opportunities offered by physics doesn't mean that I think it should be dropped from the curriculum. For all students to miss out on opportunities because it is too challenging for a minority would be terrible unfair. Australia lags behind many countries in languages, it would be nice to see us catch up just a little.

**little_O** · December 4th, 2012, 09:52 AM

You are correct that at the this time it doesn't have to be Asian however it is part of the new national framework.

Re Mandarin being more useful for business - I wouldn't dispute this however not everyone wants to be involved in international business and other languages are more useful for other things. If you happen to want to sing Opera Italian is more useful and if classical French cuisine is what rocks your boat the obviously French would be your language of choice. And we do significant trade with non-Asian countries if we can't communicate with them then that sucks for business.

I couldn't disagree more that language shouldn't be compulsory. Language doesn't just teach us language it teaches cultural understanding and stimulates parts of the brain that are pretty much dormant unless engaged in language acquisition. Education is about opportunities. Just because I didn't take the opportunities offered by physics doesn't mean that I think it should be dropped from the curriculum. For all students to miss out on opportunities because it is too challenging for a minority would be terrible unfair. Australia lags behind many countries in languages, it would be nice to see us catch up just a little.

I'm on Team Onyx

We lag SO much behind the rest of the world as it is with our schooling. My SIL is European and she learnt 2 extra languages at school. To move here she learnt a third. She can’t believe how simple our schooling is. Somehow the rest of the world manages to learn the maths, sciences and languages without any issues.

I don’t doubt some students have learning issues, and everyone learns differently. I don’t have a problem with them getting help, or different subjects, but why make the rest of the country have reduced education possibilities. It’s like saying, my child doesn’t like outdoor activities so it shouldn’t be necessary for any children to be active??

Trillian, I do see what you mean though about funding and country areas. There is an inequality (my rampage is probably education in general lol). I couldn’t imagine being a teacher who has to cater to all the children. They do an amazing job. I just feel that language is such an important part of education that it should still be an essential.

**Mother Goose** · December 4th, 2012, 06:08 PM

All schools have to teach a 2nd language, I wasn't aware that it had to be an Asian language though. The primary school DD goes to teach Japanese but they are part of a program where Japanese university students come over to teach in schools. Another school in this area teach Auslan as their 2nd language. The high school my DS and DD1 go to teach Japanese and German, the students choose 1 when they start year 7.

I think it's awesome that a school teaches Auslan! It seems something that is often overlooked...

I actually found it really hard to find a school that taught my chosen language. At my first high school, I had the choice of Japanese, German, or French. I loved Japanese but when I moved to another State, I had to travel 45 min to attend a school that taught Japanese... most of the schools only taught French and German.

I know that where I went to school in NSW, there was a large demographic of Vietnamese people moving to the area, so the school then offered Vietnamese as a language.

I personally feel that a language should be offered but there should be more than one offered in High Schools. Whatever the language, it should try and fit in with the School's aims/values/ethos/specialty. For example, if the school has a strong Cooking Program (which I've seen a few schools have as part of a work ed program), French makes sense to me as I'm told that is the language used universally in international kitchens (but maybe someone lead me up the garden path with that one!).

But I do feel that the language should be taught by someone who is fluent in both English and the language being taught. I was taught Japanese by a teacher who had little understanding of the language - as a result, my whole year 10 class failed because she was unable to teach us adequately. So if it can't be taught adequately, it shouldn't be taught at all... but that's my view.

I would also like to see some links between the languages Primary Schools teach and the local High Schools. My DD is learning Italian at school - it is compulsory...but none of the local High Schools offer it...

**Rowellen** · December 4th, 2012, 07:50 PM

But I do feel that the language should be taught by someone who is fluent in both English and the language being taught. I was taught Japanese by a teacher who had little understanding of the language - as a result, my whole year 10 class failed because she was unable to teach us adequately. So if it can't be taught adequately, it shouldn't be taught at all... but that's my view.

This is so true. I had excellent japanese teachers in years 8-10 but changed schools. I really wanted to continue Japanese so went to the only one in the area that offered it. Waste of time. My year 11 teacher spent most of the time whinging about his year 8 CE class & my year 12 teacher just wrote sentences from the teachers guide up on the board. Needless to say, my plans to continue on in uni dropped & now I can't remember much except hello, goodbye, please & can count to 10

THe school DS will be going to offers Japanese so it will be interesting to see how much comes back to me

**little_O** · December 4th, 2012, 08:54 AM

I think a second language is essential in schooling, whether its Asian or not. I agree we shouldn't limit ourselves to solely an Asian language. In the school the importance is to stimulate the brain by using the part that ism pretty much only there for a second language. It is a substantiated fact that having only one extra language will allow the brain to more easily learn a third.

Back to what onyx said though, there shouldn't be a bias of language.

**wysiwyg** · December 4th, 2012, 09:38 AM

A second language is important IMO but shouldn't be restricted to specifics.. French is actually a very widely spoken language in business due to its use in Africa and parts of Middle East. I remember hearing the former CEO of my old employer talk about it and was first time I had really realised that French was about more than just France.

I have no idea about the options offered here but in the past the UK was very stuck on French and German. I think a wide range is preferable but also believe that once you know one foreign language is far easier to learn more. (People from dual language countries often seem to speak 3 or 4 languages well)

**Phteven** · December 4th, 2012, 09:54 AM

(People from dual language countries often seem to speak 3 or 4 languages well)

My DH is bi-lingual and the speed that he picks up languages is phenomenal. While I'm struggling with 'hello my name is Onyx" he's booking dinners and organising car hire. Does my head in.

**MLR1901** · December 4th, 2012, 06:49 PM

FWIW I grew up in a rural area in Victoria.
Primary school had no language offered (but region even though not catholic school!)
High school offered Indonesian or French, I choose Indonesian - my grandfather spoke this along with 6 other languages so helped with homework.
I moved to suburban Melbourne in year 10, where I was one of a handful of Anglo based ethnicity, Spanish, Vietnamese or Chinese were offered, only to those from that background.
So no formal language offered.
BUT I learnt more languages and cultural education by interacting with friends!

Schools should offer as options for say Saturday school then students from other schools can join.
Maybe not a mandatory addition to the curriculum.
For somewhere like Canberra with defence, government etc then it would be something those kids will be exposed to.
Also very much up to the parents to wavy to encourage their kids to learn. But this is just my two cents worth!

**Heaven** · December 4th, 2012, 07:03 PM

Can someone link an article or something about why learning a second language is important?

All I remember from school was it was a PITA and I learnt a few different ones due to changing schools, but mostly Japanese. I now know barely anything from any of them despite doing Japanese for 5 years. I just can't see in my case how in helped me at all. I don't even remember anything about Japanese culture and we even had a Japanese exchange student stay at our house in high school! I remember things that I was interested in like biology and ancient history. So I don't get making it compulsory. If a kid is not interested in it then they're not going to remember it anyways. Though I'm only talking from my experience and I could be totally abnormal, lol.

So would be interested to read some research on the benefits if anyone can point me in that direction!