Revitalising languages in Australian universities: what chance?

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Institutions of higher education teach fewer languages, in less secure ways, for less time per week, for shorter periods, by an increasingly casually employed staff, in often underfunded, underappreciated and under stress modes, but participants in the Australian Academy of the Humanities' Beyond the Crisis. Revitalising Languages in Australian Universities colloquium aim to change that.

The following exchange occurred at a 1989 symposium on linking the teaching of German to programs in science, business and technology at a nondescript motel in Canberra.

   Wide-eyed young lecturer. 'Look, I
   really think it's like a crisis'.

   Hard-nosed old professor. 'You know,
   in my twenty years in Australia I don't
   recall a time when languages were
   not in crisis!'

He spoke too soon.

Almost twenty years later, with Inna Gvozdenko (Lo Bianco & Gvozdenko, 2006), I did an archival research study on the state of tertiary languages. Commencing with the 1970 Auchmuty report on Asian languages (we could have started much earlier), we considered 58 reviews and studies (40 since 1989) that had something significant to say about languages. That something significant has often been warning of an impending crisis or alarm about an actual crisis. Of course, there has also been progress in several areas, especially in the area for which the Auchmuty report is most remembered, expressed in its famous phrase that Asian languages should have 'parity of esteem' with European languages in Australian universities--a status they have long since, and rightly, achieved.

Some of these reviews were welcomed by Government and institutions, some produced positive change, a few brought about improvements, very few led to greater investments, several stimulated innovation, and many indulged in morale-boosting but cost-neutral rhetoric. However, even when there has been an injection of Federal or State Government assistance, this has usually been temporary and its effects short-lived.

Reviewing these reviews, it is remarkable how rarely 'business and industry' were involved before the late 1980s, how commonly they were during the 1990s, and how rarely 'business and industry' are involved again now. The largest number of these reports and activities is associated with the Australian Academy of the Humanities and again the Academy is at the forefront of action aiming to stem yet another looming crisis. Two recent studies, led by Colin Nettelbeck of The University of Melbourne, address the state of ab initio courses and the retention of enrolled students across various levels of study. In November 2006, the Academy devoted its annual meeting to languages, in a Symposium entitled Gift of the Gab, On 7 June 2007 it organised, jointly with the Group of Eight universities, a summit at the National Press Club in Canberra called Languages in Crisis.

The Summit agreed on and released a well-reported final communique. It reads:

The Summit holds that it is time to get serious about Australia's language capability. It is time to significantly increase our commitment to expanding the language skills of our citizens. It is time to rebuild our national language teaching capacity so that a long-term improvement in our language-speaking capability will be sustained. It is time to recognise that a relatively modest investment in dollars and personal effort will reap significant gains in the short-term, and form the foundation for successful global and regional interactions in the long-term (Australian Academy of the Humanities, 2007).

Now, in February 2009, the Academy has organised a colloquium, hopefully named Beyond the Crisis: Revitalising Languages in Australian Universities. Whether it is reports and studies, summits, colloquia or symposia, the Academy's estimation of the role and place of languages was perfectly expressed by its President, Emeritus Professor Ian Donaldson, in his opening words to the Colloquium: 'The Academy believes that languages are indispensible to a humanistic education'.

For all this action and genuine commitment, the state of health of the language learning enterprise at Australian universities shows flagging vital signs: institutions teach fewer languages, in less secure ways, for less time per week, for shorter periods, by an increasingly casually employed staff, in often underfunded, underappreciated and under stress modes.

Convened by the Language Studies Committee of the Academy, the Beyond the Crisis colloquium was the first ever all-Australia university-based conference on language teaching. 27 universities and four other institutions, involving 140 delegates (more than twice the number originally expected) participated. They were teachers, researchers, and planners and they worked through a dense program designed to celebrate innovation and persistence, debate issues and plan to make a difference, and leave an ongoing presence at university level to keep up the pressure for improvement.

A key aim was to strengthen existing networks by providing the basis of an ongoing association of those involved in teaching, researching, and administering languages in the university system. By having a dedicated voice we hope to contribute to the development of a stronger culture of multilingualism, 'naturalising' the learning of languages by making it the normal expectation of students in far greater numbers than at present. A special focus was on beginners' languages, because of the crucial importance of this segment of university languages teaching, and its preponderance in many institutions.

Nine workshops produced an agenda of items, issues and recommendations to be taken forward by the professional network being created by the unanimous decision of attendees. The colloquium acknowledged that different languages face distinctive needs, some have large candidatures and are bolstered by school teaching and public esteem, others have small candidatures and depend on foreign financing, or local community backing; some offer readily available immersion experiences, for others this is practically impossible; some receive additional Federal financing, others don't. Despite such different needs in the practical work required to strengthen each language in its teaching, research and management, it was agreed that all languages and the nation will benefit from a more strongly articulated language teaching and learning culture in higher education.

In keeping with this spirit the following motion was adopted and passed unanimously on the third day: 'That this colloquium agree to establish a body to contribute to the development of a stronger multilingual culture in higher education in Australia'. Also agreed to unanimously was a decision to form a steering group to create a National Tertiary Languages Network and steering committee membership was also decided upon at the meeting. The members are Prof. Joseph Lo Bianco (The University of Melbourne), Assoc. Prof. Marko Pavlyshyn (Monash University), Prof. Anne Freadman (The University of Melbourne), Dr Nilmeh Hajjar (University of Sydney), Prof. Kent Anderson (Australian National University), Prof. David Hill (Murdoch University), Prof. Kerry Dunne (University of New England), and Assoc. Prof. Anne McLaren (The University of Melbourne).

This group was charged with devising the charter, aims and procedures of the Network and with bringing a draft constitution to a second colloquium to be held in approximately one year's time. I can't help thinking that it is nearly 40 years now that the old professor has been in Australia, if he is still here. I hope he might think we are getting beyond the crisis.

References

Australian Academy of the Humanities. 2007. Languages in Crisis. Communique of the National Languages Summit. Retrieved 15 February 2009 from http://www. humanities.org.au/Policy/Languages/

Lo Bianco, J. & Gvozdenko, I. 2006. Collaboration and Innovation in the Provision of Languages other than English in Australian Universities. Retrieved 15 February 2009 from http:// www.dassh.edu.au/publications/CASR ARCHIVAL_REVIEW.pdf

For further information about the National Tertiary Languages Network contact Joseph Lo Bianco at [e-mail]

Professor Joseph Lo Bianco is Chair of Language and Literacy Education and Associate Dean (Global Relations and KnowledgeTransfer) in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education at The University of Melbourne. He can be contacted at [e-mail]