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Snapshots from the edge: Australia, languages, languages education and the Asian/Global Century

Snapshots from the edge: Australia, languages, languages education and the Asian/Global Century. John Hajek University of Melbourne AFMLTA 2013. Life in the Anglobubble : how it affects us and how we can change it . John Hajek University of Melbourne AFMLTA 2013.

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Snapshots from the edge: Australia, languages, languages education and the Asian/Global Century

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  1. Snapshots from the edge: Australia, languages, languages education and the Asian/Global Century John Hajek University of Melbourne AFMLTA 2013

  2. Life in the Anglobubble: how it affects us and how we can change it John Hajek University of Melbourne AFMLTA 2013

  3. RUMACCC (Research Unit for Multilingualism and Cross-cultural communication) http://rumaccc.unimelb.edu.au/ • LCNAU (Language and Cultures Network for Australian Universities) www.lcnau.org

  4. A random collection of thoughts, snapshots and vignettes • to highlight how pervasive Anglocentrism limits the way we see, experience and understand the world and how we devalue multilingualism/language success • How that same Anglocentrism limits the success of languages education in our schools and social multilingualism • Some good news, bad news and some ideas • PS you have permission to LAUGH!

  5. You will now see an apparently random series of face shots • Can you identify them? • Most (but not all) share a common characteristic. Can you work out who they are and what it is? • They will reappear later in the presentation

  6. Is English good/bad for us? • English as no.1 = privilege and blight • 3 major consequences for native speakers: • The Monolingual Mindset • The Anglobubble • Language cost-benefit formula is totally skewed. The cost of linguistic success as L1 English speakers is so low that there is no understanding of the real cost to achieve the same for L2: • Result: chronic underinvestment and inadequate policy re language education and bilingualism in the wider societal setting

  7. What is the monolingual mindset? • The greatest impediment to recognizing, valuing and utilizing our language potential is a persistent monolingual mindset. Such a mindset sees everything in terms of monolingualism being the norm, even though there are more bi- and multilinguals in the world than monolinguals (Clyne, 2005)

  8. The Anglobubble • This is that part of the world, with a concentration of monolingual English speakers, that operates in English, thinks it only natural that everything should happen in English and should logically be experienced and understood in English. • English is often said to open up the world for you. There is good evidence that for L1 speakers it easily hides it from them.

  9. So what happens when you combine monolingual mindset with the Anglobubble? • A few examples…..

  10. ‘Let’s ditch the study of languages’ • The new national curriculum will, after establishing Italian and Chinese, also teach Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. Why? • Can't someone explain to the bureaucrats and educators that this is a massive waste of time and resources? • English, as anyone who regularly travels will tell you, is the universal language of business, diplomacy and entertainment. (Steve Price, Herald-Sun, February 2011)

  11. How the monolingual mindset fails to tell the truth, the whole truth…. • "Poorer schools outshine the rest" The Australian 28 November 2009 • Richmond West Primary punching above its weight • Highly disadvantaged – starts well behind. By Yr3 90% meet NAPLAN minimum but still below average. • By Yr5 well above the state average (in English!) • What's their secret? How does it get reported?

  12. How do the Anglobubble and monolingual mindset combine to affect the way we look outside at the wider world? • The next slide contains a league table • Warning (Australians only): Australians may be upset to find that New Zealanders are higher on the table. • Good news (Kiwis only): we know we always perform better than our neighbours over the Ditch. Please get streamers ready.

  13. Other than your native language, how many foreign languages do you understand well enough to conduct scholarly research?Global Survey of International Relations Academics

  14. What you can't see from inside the Anglobubble: 2 Europes • Group A Group B • Denmark Greece • Finland Ireland • Germany Italy • LuxembourgPortugal • Netherlands Spain • Sweden UK Extra questions: Which of all these countries has the biggest trade deficit? Budget deficit? Language deficit?

  15. The Anglobubble isn't all bad: it did give us this

  16. English is not enough! • 94% of the world's population do not speak English as their first language • 75% of the world's population do not speak English at all • World languages don't last (remember Bladerunner?) • New challenges and challengers • Shift already occurring – on the web & outsourcing

  17. How the Anglobubble cuts us off from the rest of the world?

  18. It can be dangerous to speak another language in the Anglobubble – when coupled with the monolingual mindset • and politics…..

  19. What's wrong with Mitch Romney?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuzu6iS036Q

  20. An Australian example

  21. We have to talk about Kevinhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bro4mkb_VKc

  22. 'Rudd a show off' says DownerNov 6, 2007 The Age • Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has accused Labor leader Kevin Rudd of being a show-off who can't hold himself back from breaking into Chinese. • "He likes to show off, and you get that a bit with certain people in life," he told ABC Radio today. • Mr Downer says Mr Rudd is not the only person in Australia who can speak another language. • "There are thousands upon thousands of Australians, there are tens of thousands of Australians, who can speak foreign languages and most of them don't bother to show-off about it," he said.

  23. Gotye: Somebody I used to know 415 million views. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UVNT4wvIGY

  24. The Anglobubble disconnect: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVckoz0fM_Q 512 million views

  25. Gangnam Style: is this the start of the Asian Century? 1,7 billion views so far http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0

  26. Australia in the Asian century? • It’s been coming a long time • (More likely the Global Century) • Various policy initiatives: • NALSAS and now NALSSP

  27. Some good news! Kind of….. • As language teachers we do our best in difficult circumstances, we really do…. • Teachers get blamed for a lot of things. • But it's not your fault, as language teachers in schools, if recent federal policy initiatives in favour of Asian languages and studies have not been successful – most recently NALSSP (2008-2012)

  28. Decline in Asian language studies parents' fault, says Education Minister Peter Garrett, The Australian, August 12, 2012

  29. Why languages aren't thriving in our schools • (1) Chronic underinvestment • (2) Excessively low and excessively high expectations + unachievable outcomes • (3) Misguided policy and failure to implement what policy there is (e.g. principals have a critical role here) • NALSSP = less than $1 p.a per Australian • = cost of one dim sim (steamed or fried) • White paper? Gonski report?

  30. Expectations and investment: • What is official language policy for European Union citizens? • (How many languages? Which languages?) • What's so special about education in Finland?

  31. Solutions • Need to improve supply in schools AND demand in schools and in society • Well funded public campaign matched by proper resourcing in schools + application of policy • One solution: Language champions – just like sporting, media, business champions – as powerful role models

  32. Star power to transform social attitudes and practices • We need to take Hollywood and subvert it for our own purposes: • We take rich, beautiful, globally known stars of film and TV – people we watch, admire and aspire to imitate…. • And we use them as role models and language champions

  33. What's so special about Mila Kunis?

  34. What about Bradley Cooper?

  35. Sandra Bullock?

  36. Here's an idea for a new TV program • A nationally funded reality program to give direct experience of the world beyond the Anglobubble • Survivor – principals and policymakers • Leave them in sites around the world. Compass, penknife, $10 and a list of challenges

  37. Back to our champions • How to convince business we're onto something with language champions? • We need to find a champion who crosses the business/entertainment divide • A rich, powerful CEO of a global company with international profile and real staying power – someone that even Gina Hancock might listen to (….not Rupert Murdoch!)

  38. This is that person: Queen Elizabeth II, CEO of the Firm (UK and member states of the Commonwealth are wholly or partly owned subsidiaries)

  39. FIN • 

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