Senator Pauline Hanson raised concerns about immigration and social cohesion, saying ‘more than a million people’ in Australia ‘cannot speak English well or at all’. Let’s look at the numbers.
Articles on Language in Australia
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There’s little research into origins of the geographic patterns of language diversity. A new model exploring processes that shaped Australia’s language diversity provides a template for investigators.
The benefits of bilingualism are clear and pronounced, so why don’t more Australians learn a second language?
About 20% of the Australian population speaks a language other than English. However there is little connection between the languages taught in schools, and the languages spoken in homes.
New Zealand’s relationship with its Indigenous people and knowledge of their language far exceeds Australia’s.
Most Australians cannot manage the name of a single Indigenous language which is astonishing given there are 250 to choose from
Top contributors
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Associate Professor in Language, Literacy and TESL, University of Canberra
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Associate professor, Flinders University
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Associate Professor of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, Colorado State University
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Senior research fellow, The University of Melbourne
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Assistant Professor, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
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Distinguished Professor of Applied Linguistics, Macquarie University
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Professor of Linguistics, The University of Queensland