Shared Language

THE VALUE OF A SHARED LANGUAGE THE MAGAZINE OF THE FEDERATION OF ISSUE 52 SEPTEMBER 2019 ETHNIC COMMUNITIES’ COUNCILS OF AUSTRALIA FECCA IS THE PEAK, NATIONAL BODY REPRESENTING AUSTRALIANS FROM CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE (CALD) BACKGROUNDS. FECCA’S ROLE IS TO ADVOCATE FOR, AND PROMOTE ISSUES ON BEHALF OF, ITS CONSTITUENCY TO GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS AND THE BROADER COMMUNITY. ISSUE 52 The magazine of the Federation of Ethnic DISCLAIMER: Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) Any views and opinions expressed within Australian Mosaic are solely Print Post Publication No. PP229219/00162 ISSN 1447-8765 those of the individual author, authors, or other information EDITOR: Dr Janecke Wille source and do not necessarily DESIGNER: Kylie Smith Design represent the opinion of, or any FECCA received funding from the PRINTING: Elect Printing endorsement by, FECCA. Department of Home Affairs to FRONT PAGE IMAGE: courtesy of SBS produce Australian Mosaic magazine. © 2019 FECCA Address: PO Box 344 Curtin ACT 2605 Telephone: 02 6282 5755 No part of this publication may be Email: [email protected] reproduced without the written www.fecca.org.au permission of FECCA. 5 7 ADDRESS BY FECCA ADDRESS BY FECCA CHAIRPERSON – CEO – MOHAMMAD MARY PATETSOS AL-KHAFAJI Contents 12 14 18 20 DJUNGAN LANGUAGE RESTORING THE WIRADJURI FROM MILAN TO IS MY UMBILICAL PALAWA KANI LANGUAGE IN ARNHEM LAND CORD TO MY LANGUAGE SCHOOL Andrea Rizzi DJUNGAN LAND Rosetta Thomas Erin Lambshead Phoebe Grainer 22 26 28 32 LANGUAGE IS THE NOT-SO-SHARED COMMUNITY, NOT EVERYONE KEY CULTURAL AND LANGUAGE CONNECTION AND LEARNS BY WRITING PERSONAL IDENTITY - A LOOK BACK FLEXIBILITY PROVE AND READING Buol Garang Elan Yang KEY TO LEARNING Luz Restrepo Anyieth Juuk ENGLISH Sonja Hood 34 36 42 46 IS IT A ‘COOLER’ OR AUSSIE STREET ENGLISH LEARNING ENGLISH AT THE IS IT AN ‘ESKY’? TALK FOR NEW ARRIVALS WELCOMING CENTRE Ksenia Gnevsheva Steve Little IN AUSTRALIA Carole Strong Madi Cooper 48 54 58 BI-LINGUAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE ENABLES A SHARED CLASSES MEDIA CONNECTIONS LANGUAGE Michael Zgryza and Russell Anderson SBS Kaveh Navaei 4 ADDRESS BY FECCA CHAIRPERSON Mary Patetsos am delighted to introduce issue number Coincidentally, at the same time as this issue 52 of Australian Mosaic—the flagship of Australian Mosaic is published, FECCA magazine of the Federation of Ethnic is launching a report into community driven Communities’ Councils of Australia English language programs. This report (FECCA). This issue focuses on the value recognises the many challenges new arrivals of a shared language. The subject of and more established migrants and refugees Ilanguage is an interesting one. To be able to may have in learning English and encourages speak your own language is important for your English programs to respond to the diverse sense of self, identity and connection to your needs and challenges. I encourage you to culture and land. To speak the language of the read this report for a greater understanding of place where you live helps you connect with the these challenges and at the same time see the place, with people living in the area, helps in willingness among Australia’s migrants and accessing education, employment, emergency refugees to learn English. and other services. While acknowledging the importance of English When speaking of the value of a shared language skills and access to interpreting language, my immediate thought is the value services when living in Australia, it is equally of sharing the English language in Australia. important to allow people to maintain and Research has demonstrated that the English practise their own language and culture. language is incredibly important for a successful Language is linked to the history, culture and settlement process and life in Australia. The identity of people and plays a significant role policy of FECCA has always been to ensure in people searching for connection. Language access to appropriate English language learning connects people across generations, language for all new migrants and refugees to Australia. provides an avenue to learn about one’s past, This must happen with adequate resources so and language can also be a way of teaching that people can learn English in an environment others about your own land and culture. suitable to their needs, skills, and abilities. It is important to remember that providing appropriate access to English learning is an investment for Australia as a country as this creates opportunities for migrants and refugees to fully participate in work, education, training and all aspects of community life. It is, however, essential to remember that LANGUAGE there will always be members of our many IS LINKED TO THE CALD communities who will never become fluent in English—either due to pre-migration HISTORY, CULTURE experiences, life situations once in Australia, AND IDENTITY OF PEOPLE or being of older age. FECCA strongly believe that all Australians regardless of their chosen AND PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT language, should be able to access information ROLE IN PEOPLE on government policies programs services and SEARCHING FOR have access to language services. This shows the importance of the continuation of free CONNECTION. interpreting and translation services, through TIS, for all non-English speakers. ISSUE 52 5 A shared language among new arrivals to Language is important and a shared language— Australia helps reduce isolation and supports both shared with the general population but also people in those early stages of a settlement language shared within your own community—is process when they need additional support. It is essential to connect people across generations essential that all Australians should be able to and to learn about each other. Language is maintain and practise their language and culture. about who you are, your identity, where you are from and part of your culture. To quote the 2019 is the International Year of Indigenous brilliant Noam Chomsky: ‘Language is not just Languages. FECCA recognises the importance words. It’s a culture, a tradition, a unification of a of the continuation of the many Aboriginal and community, a whole history that creates what a Torres Strait Islander languages as part of community is. It’s all embodied in a language.’ people’s culture and as a way of sharing this culture with the rest of Australia. Australia I hope you enjoy reading all these articles. I find needs to protect, keep learning and support the them all interesting, insightful and moving. It continuation of the many Aboriginal languages is clear from reading these contributions that across Australia. This will not only help language is important for all of us and in many Indigenous youth connect with their culture but different ways. I want to take this opportunity will also encourage the broader community to to thank all the contributors for sharing their learn about the many languages and cultures stories and experiences. among Australia’s First peoples. 6 we were going by taxi to our accommodation. ADDRESS BY The driver asked if this was the house and I didn’t know, so I said ‘perhaps’. I also struggled with the words ‘science’ and ‘scissors’. My FECCA CEO parents valued education and wanted to give us the best start to being successful in Australia. Mohammad They did this by enrolling us in English classes at young age and ensuring we continued with extra-curricular activities. As a teenager, it was Al-Khafaji comforting to be at Adelaide Secondary School of English where everyone was a new arrival, and everyone had only the very basic English skills, or none at all. I loved learning a new language and English was my way of belonging to my new home and a way of fitting in. I was determined to learn English elcome to issue number 52 properly and use Aussie slang. I spent three of the Australian Mosaic: The terms in English school before going into high Value of a Shared Language. school. I knew learning English would allow me In this issue we look at how to give back to the community that welcomed me important language is to and my family to Australia. I knew that English one’s identity and sense was key to becoming successful in this country. Wof self. We also explore aspects of language I always wanted to share my story of coming to preservation and continuation and how this is Australia as a refugee and instil compassion in experienced by all Australians. The ability to people who have never met a refugee. Language master English is addressed throughout the helped me bridge that gap and break stereotypes magazine while reflecting on the fact that this about who refugees might be. is not the only language that is important for Today, Australia is my adopted country and I people, even in Australia. am proud to be a citizen. However, I have not We should celebrate language and encourage forgotten where I have come from. I am from young people to retain their cultural language Iraq and I strongly and passionately identify or even learn a new language. This will make as an Iraqi, even though I have not lived there us stronger as a nation and give us the edge much. Being able to speak Arabic and retaining over other countries. Looking at European that skill allows me to have a strong connection countries, most young people speak at least to my homeland, my culture, my faith and my two or three languages as standard, increasing childhood memories. their employment opportunities. We need to encourage language learning and celebrate those who speak more than one language. I want to commend SBS for running a national language competition, for recognising the importance of language and celebrating the diversity in our community.

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