DOCUMENT RESUME ED 365 113 FL 021 665 AUTHOR Cryle, Peter; And Others TITLE Unlocking Australia's Language Potential: Profiles of 9 Key Languages in Australia. Volume 3, French. INSTITUTION Australian National Languages and Literacy Inst., Deakin. SPONS AGENCY Australian Dept. of Employment, Education and Training, Canberra. REPORT NO ISBN-1-875578-10-2 PUB DATE 93 NOTE 217p.; For related documents, see FL 021 663-666. Volumes 5-9 not yet in print. AVAILABLE FROM NLLIA, Level 3, 112 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. PUB TYPE Information Analyses (070) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC09 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Bilingual Education; Educational Policy; Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Countries; *French; Higher Education; Immersion Programs; Language Attitudes; Language Enrollment; Language Maintenance; Language Role; *Second Language Learning; Second Language Programs; *Second Languages; Student Attitudes; Surveys IDENTIFIERS *Australia ABSTRACT This work is one in a series that focuses on nine languages repress '.ing the bulk of the second language learning effort in Australian education (Arabic, Modern Standard Chinese, French, German, Modern Greek, Indonesian/Malay, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish). These languages were categorized as the Languages of Wider Teaching. This particular work describes the prominence of the French language in modern language teaching in Australia and the criticism this prominence has attracted; one of the tasks of this report is to address the place of French among other languages in Language Other Than English (LOTE) provision policy. Topics addressed include French in education; immersion and bilingual programs, and primary and secondary partial immersion programs; teacher training, curriculum, and materials. An attitudinal survey is described that examines the drop in enrollment for French language instruction between Years 10 and 11. Survey findings focus on the reasons for discontinuing and for continuing French. Students reported that the most important reason for discontinuing French was that other subjects were considered more important. There is some evidence to support the idea that students continue French studies for integrative reasons. Profiles of French in postsecondary education, French in specialist professional training (e.g., business, engineering), and Australia's French-speaking population are provided. Appendices contain references, a list of colleagues consulted, and attitudinal survey form. (Contains 127 references.) (JP) 0_ ek c.. Ie e i I 4. $ I a I a 4 $ I U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office or Educabonal Research and improvement "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY CENTER (ERIC) eil<sdocument has been reproduced as ta.stA (_C) a received from the person or oroanaatfon Originating it 0 Minor changes have been made lo improve a reprOduction quality Points ol view cr opinions stated in true docu ment do not necessardy represent alive? TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES OERI positron of pohCy INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) .... MEW= /WM ila III MM. gra a a .. v. 0 111.111 MB Unlocking Australia's Language Potential PROFILES OF 9 KEY LANGUAGES IN AUSTRALIA Volume 3: French THE NATIONAL LANGUAGES & LITERACY INSTITUTE OF AUSTRAUA Canberra National Library of Australia Cataloguing in Publication Data Unlocking Australia's Language Potential: Profile of 9 Key Languages in Australia: Volume 3 - French Bibliography. Includes index. ISBN 1 875578 07 2 (set) ISBN 1 875578 08 0 (v.1) ISBN 1 875578 09 9 (v.2) ISBN 1 875578 10 2 (v.3) ISBN 1 875578 11 0 (v.4) ISBN 1 875578 12 9 (v.5) ISBN 1 875578 13 7 (v.6) ISBN 1 875578 14 5 (v.7) ISBN 1 875578 15 3 (v.8) ISBN 1 875578 16 1 (v.9) ISBN 1 875578 17 X (v.10) 1. Language and languages - Study and teaching - Australia.2. Australia - Languages Study and teaching - Foreign speakers. I. National Languages and Literacy Institute of Australia. II. Australian Second Language Learning Program 0 Commonwealth of Australia and NLLIA ISBN 1 875578 10 2 (v.3) This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without the written permission of the NLLIA. 418.007 The funding for this project was provided by the Australian Second Language Learning Program of the National Policy on Languages by DEET. The NLLIA also provided some funding. The views expressed here do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth. THE NATIONAL National Languages and Literacy Institute of Australia Limited LANGUAGES & Level 2, 6 Campion St, Deakin ACT 2600 Australia LITERACY INSTITUTE Tel: (06) 281 3366 Fax: (06) 281 3096 OF AUSTRALIA The NLLIA The National Languages and Literacy Institute of Australia Limited (NLUA) began operations in June. 1990. The Institute is largely funded by the Federal Government and is closely linked to the implementation of policies on language and litera- cy adopted in recent years by Federal and State governments. The NLLIA provides national leadership and guidance on lan- guage education issues by: providing professional development activities for language lecturers, teacher trainers and teachers: creating and operating a database/clearing house on lan- guage education issues and regularly disseminating infor- mation from these: facilitating and conducting research needed to improve practice in language education: and regularly assessing language education needs by providing advisory and consultancy services to govcrnmait, uruons, business and the community on relevant language issues. The NLUA consists of: A Directorate located in Canberra which is responsible for the overall management, co-ordination and policy develop- ment work of the Institute. The Directorate conducts the NLLIA's nationally co-ordinated projects which are major projects in language and literacy education with a policy focus. The Directorate also has a Business & Projects Unit in Melbourne. NLLIA Centres in universities across Australia include: the language Acquisition Research Centre he Language and Society Centre The language and Technology Centre which includes the national database of language professionals, courses and materials The Centre for Deafness and Communication Studies The Language Testing Centre The language Testing and Curriculum Centre Thc Centre For Workplace Communication and Culture NLUA Business Language Services Document Design & Research Unit Western Australia Office For further information: The National Languages & Literacy Institute of Australia Limited NLLIA Directorate Level 2, 6 Campion Street, Deakin ACT 2600 Tel: (06) 281 3366 Fax: (06) 281 3096 NLLIA Business & Projects Unit Level 3, 112 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne Vic 3002 Tel: (03) 416 2422 Fax: (03) 416 0231 THE NATIONAL LANGUAGES & LITERACY INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA French Profile Table of Contents Preface i Acknowledgements i i i Steering Committee i i i Abbreviations i v Recommendations v 1.0 Introduction 1 1.1 French in Public Debate 1 1.2 The Issue of Balance 5 1.3 "French" in Australia 12 1.3.1 The Market 13 1.3.2 Francophilia and Francophobia 15 1.3.3 Responding to Demand - The Education Market 16 1.3.4 French Cultural Influence in Australia 17 2.0 French in Education 22 2.1 History 22 2.2 Schools 36 2.2.1 Primary 36 2.2.2 Secondary 55 2.2.2.1 General Comments 90 2.2.2.2 Gender Issues 90 2.2.2.3 Future Needs 91 2.2.3 Immersion and Bilingual Programs 92 2.2.3.1 Primary Partial Immersion 94 2.2.3.2 Secondary Partial Immersion 96 2.2.4 The Transition lroblem 98 2.2.4.1 Administration 101 2.2.4.2 Teacher Training 101 2.2.4.3 Curriculum and Materials 102 2.2.5 The 'Cultural Content" of French in Schools 103 2.2.6 Distance Provision 105 2.2.7 Attitudinal Survey 107 2.2.7.1 Aims 107 2.2.7.2 Methodology 107 2.2.7.3 Stage 1 - Design of questionnaire 107 2.2.7.4 Background Information 107 2.2.7.5 language Background 107 2.2.7.6 Reasons for Discontinuing 108 2.2.7.7 Reasons for Continuing 108 2.2.7.8 Stage 2 - Sampling Procedure 108 2.2.7.9 Stage 3 - Administration of Quk.stionnaire 109 2.2.7.10 Results and Discussion 109 2.2.7.11 The Sample 109 2.2.7.12 Profile of Students 110 2.2.7.13 Language Background 112 2.2.7.14 Reasons for Discontinuing French 112 2.2.7.15 Reasons for Continuing 113 2.3 Post Secondary Education 114 2.3.1 Universities 114 2.3.1.0 Introduction 114 2.3.1.1 Enrolment trends 115 2.3.1.2 The Last Twenty Years 116 2.3.1.3 The Curriculum in French- Aims and Objectives 122 2.3.1.4 French in Specialist Professional Training 137 Unlocking Australia'. Language Potential 2.3.1.5 Possible Models 137 2.3.1.6 Business 139 2.3.1.7 Engineering 140 2.3.1.8 Interpreting/Translating 141 2.3.1.9 Teaching 142 2.3.1.10 General issues 142 2.3.1.11 Language Proficiency 145 2.3.1.12 Methodology 153 2.3.1.13 In-service 1% 2.3.1.14 Primary 157 2.3.1.15 Ciol-iral Competence 158 2.3.2 Survey of Graduate Career pathsUniversity of Queensland 159 2.3.3 University Extension Courses 162 2.3.4 TAFE 165 2.4 Other 169 2.4.1 The Alliance Française 169 2.4.2 Proprietary Language Schools 171 3.0 French as a Community Language 173 3.1 Australia's French-speaking population 173 3.2 Community uses of French 175 3.2.1 Radio 175 3.2.2 Television 176 3.2.3 Newspaper 176 4.0 French in World Trade 178 4.1 Evaluating the Role of Languages in Trade 178 4.2 Language Uses in Business 180 4.3 French and Business 182 4.4 The International Role of French 183 4.4.1 Diplomacy 183 4.4.2 Technology and Science 183 4.4.3 French and International Trade 184 4.5 Australian Trade with France 185 4.6 Education and Training Needs 186 Appendix A References and Selected Bibliography 189 Appendix B Colleagues Consulted 195 Appendix C Attitudinal Survey Form and Results 197 French Profile Preface One of the consequences of the increased emphasis on language policy making from state and federal governments in recent years has been the proliferation of ways of categorising languages.