Re-situating Linguistic Diversity within early 21 st Century Developments

1. Re-situating Linguistic Diversity within early 21st Century Developments Challenges of contemporary migration for language, education and social cohesion

2. Introduction 6th generation Australian & 8th generation South African • anglo-irish catholic-scottishpresbyterian-frenchhuguenotafrican Background in • English language (school) teaching; • Language policy & planning in South Africa • Masters’ Dissertation on Post-colonial language policy – influenced by work of George Smolicz • Alternative language policy for South Africa • Informed by NLLIA, Australian National Policy on Languages, Joe Lo Bianco, telephone translation and interpreting services, relationship between language and the economy, Federation of Ethnic Communities etc. • Pan South African Language Board from 1996 onwards

3. Focus on multilingualism Teacher education and training of teacher educators (from across Africa), University of Cape Town • Provision and use of bilingual and multilingual methodologies in the classroom; support biliteracy and bilingual; triliteracy and trilingual development through primary school; Language Policy and Planning in a Multilingual dispensation – Universities of Antwerp and Louvain Large-scale, system-wide studies, Human Sciences Research Council • Provincial studies and assessments in South Africa • Country-wide study in Ethiopia • 25 country study for UNESCO Institute of Education & Association for the Development of Education in Africa

4. Flow and exchange of research and expertise between the South and North Former colonies in the ‘less developed’ parts of the world have been recipients of monolingually driven education systems, theories and practices from the ‘more developed’ countries for at least the last 125 years Yet: • Africa has had 5 periods of multilingual education systems and used indigenous African languages in education since the Egyptian’s development of hieroglphics • Practice and research on bilingual and multilingual education since the 1930s – three generations of practices • Indigenous responses to diversity • Clearing misconceptions: the genocide in Rwanda took place in a monolingual not multilingual setting • New research data on multilingual and indigenous language education in Africa is pertinent in the current context beyond Africa • Recognised in India – Universities of Delhi and Jawaharal Nehru; and Central Institute of Indian Languages in Mysore • Participation in the European Commission’s Sustainable Diversity Network of Excellence – looking at issues of managing / accommodating diversity productively • Potential for indigenous education in Australia as well as new migrant communities • Multi-directional flow of dialogue: Australia-Africa-India-Europe-North & Latin America

5. Migration and Linguistics Post-World War II 21st Century Migration towards: USA, UK, Australia, Western Europe Responses: assimilation via peripherally inclusive policies; teaching of second language – usually ESL(but also the dominant language of W Europe); multiculturalism debates on interculturalism Paradigms: language as a problem, language as a right (linguistic human rights), language as a resource (Richard Ruiz, in Arizona 1984  Australia  Africa & Europe USA, Latin America) Late 20th C responses are no longer adequate • Critical mass theory/different scale of statistics, e.g. Amsterdam • Under-prepared responses = misguided, e.g. Head-scarves in Denmark – policy and plans based on fear • Failure of late 20th century market-force capitalism dominated by USA • Scale of migration and mobility from Asia and Africa • Theoretical models in the West-North no longer fit well • EU/EC pre-emptive research and investment

6. Situating the Research Centre for Languages and Cultures Challenges Resources Implications for Education • Understanding the dynamic relationship(s) between language and culture are increasingly pertinent • Language acquisition theory – contested notions of ‘language’, ‘language models’, ‘standard languages’, inner, outer and expanding circles of English • Implications for biliteracy/bilingual education increasingly significant • Curriculum design, bilingual/multilingual assessment, teacher education, materials production • Re-tooling university and school teachers • Resourcing: investment and return on investment vs. Cost • Policy and planning • Contexts: UniSA, higher education, school education, economic, social RCLC Expertise •  •  •  •  •  •  •  Risks & Possibilities (social cohesion/disaffection)

7. RCLC Seminar December 2010 Suggestion – focus on the implications of: Linguistic Diversity and Migration in the 21st Century in Australia • Scoping the horizon • Getting our house in order: Aboriginal languages and education • New linguistic priorities • Identifying expertise/experiences from without Australia • Identifying resources and risks • Pre-emptive initiatives