Language Status

National language: Australia English Immigrant languages:

Italian (500,000) Arabic (250,000) Chinese (190,000) Standard German (135,000) Greek (107,000)

170,000 aborigines, but only 47,00 who knows the aboriginal language Regional dialects
South Australian English (South Austalia) Western Australian English Torres Strait English Australian Kriol Language Norfuk (Norfolk Island)

Languages in Australia

Degree of bilingualism/multilingualism
y

Between 15% and 20% of Australians daily use a language other than English

Australian English

Is a group of dialects spoken in Australia y First language in Australia

y

Origins & Influences

First spoken by the children of the colonists (Including convicts) y They are exposed to a wide different dialects from all over the British Isles. y Australian gold rushes. y Aboriginal languages (Mostly for places, flora & fauna and local culture.)
y

The First Fleet

Gold Rush

Varieties of Australian English

y

Broad Australian (Strine)

General Australian

Cultivated Australian (Similar to received pronunciations)

Prime Minister of Australia

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander English

Ethnocultural varieties y Learn Australian English!

y

Australian Aboriginal languages

18th century: There are about 350 750 languages y 21st century: Less than 150 languages (In daily use) y Of those that survive, Only 10%, usually located in the most isolated areas, are being learned by children.
y

Examples of Aboriginal words

Billabong

Kangaroo

Boomerang

Australian Aboriginal Language Map

Aboriginal people

Australian Kriol (Creole) language

y y

y y y

Almost similar to English but with different structures and grammar. Regions: Sydney and Newcastle in New South Wales in the early days of White colonization. Died out in most parts of the country, except in the Northern Territory Presently spoken by about 30,000 people. Before 1970, it was regarded as a dialect of English rather than a language in its own right.

Example of Australian Kriol

Airport : e-pot, eyastrip y All the way: olawei y Accident: eksadint
y

Australia has no prescribed language laws. http://www.worldcp.org/australia.php?aid=5 19

y

All Australians should develop & maintain effective literacy in English to enable them to participate in Australian society

The learning of Ls other than English (LOTE) must be substantially expanded and improved

Australia Language and Literacy Policy (ALLP) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ls which are still transmitted should be maintained and developed, & those that are not should be recorded where appropriate Language services provided by interpreters and translators, the print and electronic media and libraries should be expanded and improved

Roles of languages in education system

Organisations responsible
y

Language Australia- The National Languages and Literacy Institute of Australia

References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_varia tion_in_Australian_English y http://www.mega.nu/ampp/australia.html y http://www.multiculturalaustralia.edu.au/d oc/lobianco_1.pdf y http://www.islpr.org/PDF/Language_Policy _Language_Education_Australia.pdf
y