The Victorian Government’s Vision for Languages Education

Whether they live in our capital, a regional centre or rural area, Victorian students will increasingly need to engage and communicate with people from a range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The Melbourne Declaration on Education Goals for Young Australians articulates the importance of equipping young Australians with the skills to communicate, not only within and across Australia’s linguistically and culturally diverse society but also in an increasingly interconnected global world. High-level language and intercultural skills will be critical if our students are to respond with con dence to the challenges and opportunities resulting from globalisation. The Victorian Government knows that languages education offers students many benefits. We know that the learning of languages enhances rst language literacy, including the development of English literacy for students with English as their rst language. Top performing education systems around the world offer extensive and compulsory languages education programs and continue to achieve strong student outcomes, because languages learning contributes to the development of students’ cognitive, communication and problem-solving skills. Languages learning also offers students new ways of understanding their own identity and culture and the cultural perspectives of others. Languages education provides significant benefits for
the Victorian community. It enables Victorian Aboriginal communities to revitalise and reclaim Language as a core element of their culture and it provides an avenue for our non- indigenous culturally and linguistically diverse communities to maintain their languages and cultures. Languages learning underpins social cohesion because it supports communication and respect across cultures. Creating a multilingual society through increased and improved languages education will also deliver benefits to the Victorian economy. One of the main requirements for doing business internationally is strong language capabilities. Victoria’s economic growth will increasingly depend on the ability of Victorian companies to do business in non-English- speaking markets. In particular, Victorian businesses will increasingly look toward Asia’s growth markets, and will require cultural and linguistic skills to succeed. In order to be competitive Victorian businesses must become multilingual. Through increased support for languages education, the Government is creating a future workforce that will better meet the needs of businesses engaging and expanding globally.