Unlocking Australia's Language Potential: Profiles of 9 Key Languages in Australia
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 365 114 FL 021 666 AUTHOR Fernandez, Sue; And Others TITLE Unlocking Australia's Language Potential: Profiles of 9 Key Languages in Australia. Volume 4, German. INSTITUTION Australian National Languages and Literacy Inst., Deakin. SPONS AGENCY Australian Dept. of Employment, Education and Training, Canberra. REPORT NO ISBN-1-875578-11-0 PUB DATE 93 NOTE 155p.; For related documents, see FL 021 663-665. Volumes 5-9 not yet in print. AVAILABLE FROMNLLIA, Level 3, 112 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. PUB TYPE Information Analyses (070) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Bilingual Education; Educational Policy; Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Countries; *German; Higher Education; Language Attitudes; Language Maintenance; Language Role; *Second Language Learning; Second Language Programs; *Second Languages; Surveys IDENTIFIERS *Australia ABSTRACT This work is one in a series that focuses on nine languages representing the bulk of the second language learning effort in Au' ralian 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. Key areas addressed in this profile include:(1) the place of German in Australian education;(2) issues in the teaching of German including teacher preservice training, language proficiency among teachers of German, and teachers' concerns about the delivery of German language programs;(3) sociolinguistic data on the German-speaking community in Australia; and (4) German as a world language. Findings show that the position of German in Australian education is relatively strong. Numbers of students enrolled in German language courses are on the rise, and availability of German as a Language Other Than English (LOTE) in primary, secondary, and tertiary education is also increasing. Some problematic issues affecting German in Australian education are discussed and recommendations are offered. Appendices contain a bibliography, a list of scholarships and in-country education, a list of individuals consulted, and an attitudinal survey form. (Contains 101 references.) (JP) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** 0 Vol. 4 German Principal authors: Sue Fernandez Anne Pauwels U.S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Michael Clyne Office of Educational Research and Improvement "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY CENTER (ERIC) p"inis dOcument has been reproduced as r" received from the person or organiztion Originating it 0 Minor changes nave been made to improve reproduction duality Points of view or opinions slated in this docu ment do not necessarily represent official TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES OE RI position or policy INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) BEST COPY AVAILABLE Unlocking Australia's Language Potential PROFILES OF 9 KEY LANGUAGES IN AUSTRALIA Volume 4: German THE NATIONAL LANGUAGES 8. - LITERACY INSTITUTE OF AUSTRAUA Canberra National Library of Australia Cataloguing in PublicationData Unlocking Australia's Language Potential: Profile of9 Key Languages in Australia: Volume 4 - German 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 I 875578 15 3 (v.8) ISBN 1 875578 16 1 (v.9) 1. Language and languages- Study and teacning - Australia.2. Australia Languages Study and teaching - Foreign speakers. I. NationalLanguages and Literacy Institute of Australia. II. Australian Second Language Learning Program 0 Commonwealth of Australia and NLLIA ISBN 1 875578 11 0 This work is copyright. Apart fromany use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968,no part may be reproduced by any process without the writtenpermission of the NLLIA and the Commonwealth. 418.007 Funded by DEET with additional resource support from theNLLIA. The views expressed here do not necessarily represent theviews of the Commonwealth and the NLLIA. THE NATIONAL National Languages and Literacy Institute of AustraliaLimited LANGUAGES & LITERACY Level 2, 6 Campion St, Deakin ACT 2600 Australia INSTITUTE Tel: (06) 281 3366 Fax: (06) 281 3096 OF AUSTRALIA A 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 government, unions, 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 coordinated projects which are major projects in language and literacy education with a policy focus. The Directorate also has a Business and Projects Unit in Melbourne. and Business Language Services in Adelaide. NLLIA Centres in universities across Australia include: The Language Aequisition Research Centre The 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 Tting and Curdculum Centre The Centre For Workplace Communication and Culture Document Design and Research Unit The Centre For Literacy, Culture and Language Pedagogy 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 & Projcets Unit Level 3, 112 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne Vic 3002 Tel: (03) 416 2422 Fax: (03) 416 0231 THE NATIONAL LANGUAGES & LITERACY INSTI'TUTE OF AUSTRALIA 5 German Profile Table of Contents Preface Acknowledgements i i i The Steering Committee i i i Executive Summary Aims, Scope, Methodology and Limitations of the Profile v i Recommendations x i 1.0 Introduction: The German Language in Australia 1 2.0 German in Australian Education 5 2.1 German in Primary and Secondary Schools in Australia: Quantitative Data 5 2.1.1 South Australia 6 2.1.2 Victoria 8 2.1.3 Queensland 10 2.1.4 Australian Capital Territory 11 2.1.5 Tasmania 12 2.1.6 New South Wales 13 2.1.7 Western Australia 15 2.1.8 Northern Territory 16 2.1.9 Summary 16 2.2 German at Universities, in TAFE Colleges and in 'Other' Courses Quantitative Data 18 2.2.1 Universities 18 2.2.2 Technical and Further Education (TAFE) 23 2.2.3 Other Course Providers 25 2.2.4 Summary 25 2.3 Issues in the Teaching of German: Some Qualitative Data 26 2.3.1 Overview of Courses and General Issues 26 2.3.2 Teacher Qualifications and Teacher Education 43 2.3.3 Teacher Supply and Demand 51 2.3.4 Materials and Resources 53 2.3.5 Methodology 58 2.3.6 Content-based Programs 59 2.3.7 Support Institutions 61 2.4 Language Policy Considerations 62 2.5 Attitudinal Data: Students' Attitudes to German Language Learning 67 2.5.1 Aim and Scope of the Secondary Survey 67 2.5.2 Profile of the Year 11 Students Studying German 69 2.5.3 Students' Reasons for Discontinuing German 74 2.5.4 Students' Reasons for Contirroing with German 75 2.5.5 Gender and LOTE Study 77 2.5.6 Summary of the Secondary Survey 77 2.5.7 Tertiary Students of German: Motivations and Attitudes 77 2.5.8 Some Concluding Observations Regarding Students' Attitudes to, and Motivation for, the Study of German 79 3.0 German in Australian Society 80 3.1 Numbers and Distribution of Germans in Australia 80 3.1.1 Numb2rs of German Speakers in Australia 80 3.1.2 Distribution of German Speakers in Australia 84 3.2 Domains of German Language Use 86 3.2.1 Public Domains: Media, Libraries, Education, S,:cular Societies and Religious Organisations 88 3.2.2 Hospitality and Transactional Domains: Hotels, Guesthouses, Coffee Shops and Delicatessens 92 Unlocking Australia's Language Polantial 3.2.3 Private Domains: Family and Friends 93 3.3 Ethnolinguistic Vitality 94 3.4 Projected Migration Patterns 97 3.5 Summary and Implications 97 3.6 Linguistic Background and Skills of Students Studying German 98 3.7 Language and Cultural Resources Provided by the Local German Community 99 3.8 The Relevance of the Local Community's Characteristics, Needs and Values For Those Involved in German Language Learning and Teaching in Australia 99 4.0 German, Australia and the World 101 4.1 Introduction 101 4.2 German as a World Language 102 4.2.1 countries Where German has Official / Regional Status 102 4.2.2 Estimated World Population of German Speakers 103 4.2.3 Economic Strength of German 106 4.2.4 'Communicative Events'