Foxy,

I started to wade through the link but, frankly, I soon lost interest as it struck me as an impractical wish list of 'could do, if only we had the finance from the taxpayer'.

Nowhere did I see any reference (in the turgid prose that I read) to the students being effectively fluent in English.

If I might make a suggestion?
As over 50% of the Australian population are partly of Celtic descent that the Celtic languages be offered in any future curriculum?

Ridiculous?

No more ridiculous than offering languages with which they have no cultural connection.

Somewhere in the report there may be a mention of no compulsion but I didn't see it, but then I may have dozed off.

Foxy,

You are not reading and responding to any of the criticisms of your proposed mandatory Asian languages and as a second language for Australia.

I don't imagine that you read the ACARA report before you posted it. Or else you wouldn't be imagining that it supports your views.

For others, the ACRA report reeks of the leftist 'Progressivism' of six years of Labor government. An excerpt from the politically correct gobble-gook of the Rudd era,

"ACARA considers that the curriculum development proposed in this paper will make a difference to languages learning in Australia because it:
• recognises that languages learning is for all students in Australian schools who bring their individual linguistic and cultural profile to their learning, whether this is English or the target language or various combinations of languages
• articulates a clear commitment to and positioning of Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages"

It is so typical of leftists that they always assume to know what is best for others and they do not believe in asking the public, because they always know best, of course.

Sack them all and institute some much-needed direct consultation with the public and the sections of the community most affected - parents and students.

Meanwhile, there are thousands of students who are underachieving, or falling through the gaps and the thousands more who leave school functionally illiterate in the essentials, maths, English and civics to participate fully in society.

It is known that indigenous children are among the worst affected as a direct result of extreme multicultural policy that put indigenous language ahead of English, often to the extent that 'whitey' English wasn't given any priority, being 'dissed' instead.

So what about setting aside the politics and the education departments and teachers extracting their digits to achieve a standard of education we can be proud of world-wide, and one where thousands of young lives are not heading for the scrap heap as is the inheritance of previous years?

FOXY I did read that report tabled by ACARA, and I'd probably have to agree with some of it in principle ?

However, before we (the education authorities) embark upon another language, I believe we should first ensure ALL students achieve an acceptable standard in our official language, that of ENGLISH. Both written and in it's verbalized form. Anyone who hopes to embrace any occupation in this country, without even a basic ability of written or spoken English, will surely find it almost impossible to prevail.

I realise many educators and others consider it trendy, to have a capacity to communicate effectively in another language, whether it's European based or Asian. However, without an already good comprehension of English, particularly grammar, well you can simply forget it, as it will prove very difficult indeed to excel in any foreign language !

I'm a great believer that we should require our often 'unionised' schools, to make sure ALL kids are taught the singularly necessary; reading, writing and numeracy competencies first. Without these very basic levels of expertise, our kids will find it hard to get anywhere, either scholastically or vocationally.

Our gaols are full of people who are inordinately deficient in one form or other, in basic literacy or numeracy, or often both ? I firmly believe our children should have to achieve, 'a government established criterion' embracing all three basic literacy and numeracy competencies. Thereafter, by all means include another language, even two, in their areas of interest and/or their studies.

Dear Is Mise and O Sung Wu,

The Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting
Authority (ACARA) in the report that I got from the web -
makes it quite clear in its introduction that it will work with
state and national authorities as well as organisations to
develop strategies to aid the provision of high quality
language learning for all young Australians.

It also states that language learning is for all Australian
schools --- whether this is in English, or the target language
or various combination of languages. Their aim is for a
broad-based curriculum to increase the benefits of
learning languages no matter which languages they may be,
including English.

It goes into more detail - however, I shan't list everything
here - it's in the given link.

Foxy,

Is their aim to offer all students a chance at a language of their choice or will most schools only be able to offer one or two choices?

What do they say about compulsion?

What do you say about compulsion?

I can see the necessity for compulsory English but compulsory (or voluntary) Mandarin could be rather useless as Mandarin may not be understood in a lot of China, and if understood may be ignored as English often is in Wales.

Chinese Languages.

"Official languages:

Standard Chinese (Mainland), Cantonese (Hong Kong and Macau), English (Hong Kong), Portuguese (Macau), Uyghur (Xinjiang), Tibetan (Tibet), Mongolian (Inner Mongolia), Zhuang (Guangxi)

Indigenous languages:
Achang, Ai-Cham, Akha, Amis, Atayal, Ayi, Äynu, Babuza, Bai, Baima, Basay, Blang, Bonan, Bunun, Buyang, Buyei, Daur, De'ang, Derung, Dong, Dongxiang, E, Chinese Pidgin English, Ersu, Evenki, Fuyü Gïrgïs, Gelao, Groma, Hani, Hlai, Ili Turki, Iu Mien, Jingpho, Jino, Jurchen, Kanakanabu, Kangjia, Kavalan, Kim Mun, Khitan, Lahu, Lisu, Lop, Macanese, Manchu, Miao, Maonan, Mongolian, Monguor, Monpa, Mulam, Nanai, Naxi, Paiwan, Pazeh, Puyuma, Ong-Be, Oroqen, Qabiao, Qoqmončaq, Northern Qiang, Southern Qiang, Prinmi, Rukai, Saaroa, Saisiyat, Salar, Sarikoli, Seediq, She, Siraya, Sui, Tai Dam, Tai Lü, Tai Nüa, Tao, Tangut, Thao, Amdo Tibetan, Central Tibetan (Standard Tibetan), Khams Tibetan, Tsat, Tsou, Tujia, Uyghur, Waxianghua, Wutun, Xibe, Yi, Eastern Yugur, Western Yugur, Zhaba, Zhuang

Minority languages:
Kazakh, Korean, Kyrgyz, Russian, Tatar, Tuvan, Uzbek, Wakhi, Vietnamese

Main foreign languages
English,[1][2]
Portuguese (in Macau)

Sign languages:
Chinese Sign Language
Tibetan Sign Language
Taiwanese Sign Language"

"....China has 292 living languages according to Ethnologue."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_China