Day 2: Wednesday, 28 October 2009

Parliamentarian statements

Languages and cultural awareness
Roundtable meeting
10:45 - 12:30
Committee Room 1S4 at Parliament House

From the : 2009 HASS on the Hill program

The following Parliamentarians are participating in the Languages and cultural awareness roundtable and extend their support to the HASS on the Hill event.

The roundtable will focus on the teaching of foreign/community languages other than English in schools and universities, issues surrounding Indigenous languages in bilingual education, and the critical need for an improved effort for English as a Second Language (ESL) provision in schooling. The aim is to interact with policy makers linking research to practical problems. This session will bring together academic and practitioner leaders in fields being debated in the media or of public interest with the aim of making research and knowledge accessible to them.

Download the roundtable Briefing paper   [PDF file size: 102kB]

• The Hon Laurie Ferguson MP

Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services

• Ms Maria Vamvakinou MP, Federal Member for Calwell

Chair of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Innovation

• Mr Mark Dreyfus QC MP

Attending: 10:45 am to 11:45 am

• Ms Kerry Rea MP

Federal Member for Bonner

• Senator Trish Crossin

Senator for Northern Territory

• The Hon George Brandis MP

Senator for Queensland

Ms Maria Vamvakinou MP, Federal Member for Calwell

I welcome the Roundtable's focus on the teaching of foreign/community languages other than English in schools and universities, as well as its focus on issues surrounding Indigenous languages in bilingual education, as well as ESL provision in schooling.

As the Chair of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Innovation, I commend the roundtable's aim to interact with policy makers in an attempt to link research to practical problems. This is an issue which the Committee has extensively looked into, and is one which needs to be continually addressed. As the Member for Calwell, I know too well the benefits that multiculturalism brings to the wider Australian social landscape. Language is the key to understanding the social and cultural make-up of the various communities that are represented within this country. For a society like Australia, multiculturalism is a central component of what makes us aware of both who we are and what we have to offer.

Further to this, the value of the humanities and social science disciplines is particularly important to the development of policy. An understanding of culture is crucial to the formation of policy, particularly when dealing with complex domestic and international issues. The rich tradition of inquiry within the humanities and social science field has its roots in the study of languages. The philosophies that have been central to developing our modern and post-modern world have been examined through an understanding of the rhetorical, associative and arranged features of language.

The roundtable's efforts at linking these two crucial aspects are welcome and I look forward to its outcome.

The Hon Laurie Ferguson MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services

As Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services, I am in the fortunate position of being able to combine my personal interest in cultural diversity with my everyday work. My electorate of Reid is one of the most diverse in the country and has more people born overseas than anywhere else in Australia, at 49.5 per cent. Growing up in this area has given me an appreciation for the enrichment that is brought about by the meeting of a variety of cultures.

I am privileged to work closely with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. In my local community, and across Australia, there are numerous community organisations doing wonderful work to encourage community harmony and social cohesion. Everyday I witness how cultural diversity is a source of both social and economic wealth for Australia, giving vibrancy and dynamism to Australian life.

The Australian Government considers learning English in the Australian context one of the most important steps migrants and humanitarian entrants can take towards successfully settling in Australia. It is also crucial to national productivity, by better equipping these new settlers for the workforce. To this end, the Government funds the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP). For 2009-10, this funding is $208.9 million.

The AMEP provides free English language tuition to eligible migrants and humanitarian entrants in over 250 locations nationally. Humanitarian entrants with low levels of schooling or who had difficult pre-migration experiences such as torture and/or trauma can access additional tuition through the Special Preparatory Program.

In the 2008 Budget the Australian Government invested $49.2 million over four years to help migrants gain the language skills needed to participate in the Australian workforce. This is being done by AMEP delivery of additional hours to eligible clients through the Employment Pathways Program and Traineeships in English and Work Readiness Program.

These two programs help people with the low levels of literacy, to learn English in formal and informal settings while gaining familiarity with Australian workplace culture and practices through exposure to work situations, occupational health and safety and other employment preparation skills. This initiative is an excellent example of English-language programs designed to prepare people for the workforce. Partnerships between English language and employers will help humanitarian entrants and migrants to attain their goal of successful settlement.

The Australian Government funds a number of world class settlement support services that build self-sufficiency and facilitate connections with mainstream services to help migrants to settle in Australia and become contributing members of the community as soon as possible.