Posted by individual, Thursday, 15 March 2012 6:50:53 AM

" ... When 90% can't even speak/write/teach their own language properly then how on earth can you expect them to learn another. ... "

I think that's a bit harsh *Individual* though can accept there are some valid elements to your comment.

I also studied Japanese in my first year of Uni and whilst the written dimension adds additional challenges, the foundation provided some assistance to learning something of Thai and then, as said, something of the Indonesian language as well. Point being is that certain principles of learning one language can be of assistance in gaining greater mastery of another, even I would suggest of one's native/1st language.

As a general comment based on my relatively limited Uni experience, combined with dealing with the various TAFE's and a primary school, I am certainly of the view that it would be a very relevant and worthwhile up grade for our teachers to be taught something of the essence of "Legal Writing in Plain English" and what it means to give "Due Consideration" and how a fact is evidenced.

Another area which seems to me to be grossly wasteful mishandling of our teaching assets is that, again, in my limited experience, we have a situation where the teachers are all making up new material on a daily basis, only for it to be stored and binned and often not used again. Whilst I can accept that there is a genuine place for ongoing development, and certainly say in those areas such as A.M.E.P. which are more tailored to provide a concurrent awareness of the legal and guvment system as it is at the relevant point in time, for the best of this not to be digitally captured and shared around for everyone's benefit is grossly wasteful, and does not lend itself for the teachers to focus more on "teaching."

To add something more constructive for the writer of the article and those who support the notion that language studies generally are a worthy pursuit in need of additional funding, I am wondering whether this cause may be additionally advanced by lending support to our own migrant population in the extremely important area of "Informed Legal Consent."

This is something that I have previously mentioned on OLO.

In my situation, as Step Dad, it has been determined that in the absence of me adopting my step daughter, that I am not legally responsible and except in limited circumstances cannot sign off on those documents requiring "informed legal consent" as it is a right only my BeLoved wife has.

And, unlike Proff Hill, I am not an accredited interpretor or translator and neither do I have the additional specialisations required for dealing with medical and or legal documents.

Of course, as my wife is not yet fluent in Australian english, she most definitely requires the support of translated documents and oral interpretation.

And Gods, from dealing with chemists who press for a signature in advance of an opportunity to read or at times even having received the script medications in question, to screeching doctor secretaries and medicare forms, to hospital operation forms and the list goes on, I have yet to come across anyone who handles this process appropriately.

As this problem seems to be systemic, I shall refrain from picking on anyone particularly and I note that in my immediate sphere of influence, the matter is being slowly progressed, however, this has been a side line focus of mine for more than a year since our return to Australia from Indonesia and includes 2 letters of apology from the relevant Minister, and numerous conversations and correspondence with what used to be called the "Office of Health Review."

TBC

Now, by co-incidence if nothing else, the hospital in question now has lots of interpreter signs up all over the place, but they still aren't flagging relevant individuals at initial registration properly, and not all of the doctors that we have dealt still understand the relevant legal aspects of taking consent.

However, change is occurring, if but slowly.

A big expensive job, no doubt, and my heart goes out to those families who have insufficient language skills let alone a grounding in Australia's medical and legal system.

And no, a quick call to TISC on 131450 is insufficient for the big docs and it really requires greater standardisation to arrive at legal correctness and business efficiency in my view.

Thus, if the learned members in language could pull something of this together to assist our migrant population, it may be by contributing to the forcing of the issue of the need to appropriately obtain "informed legal consent," that this in turn will bring about a situation where language teaching and services are up scaled in priority with the additional resources etc also being provided.