Protest against the closure of Chinese languages
The Chinese Community Council of Victoria is organizing a demonstration of 100-200 people to protest against the closure of Chinese languages and Languages other than English (LOTES) this Monday 4th May at Victoria University with the exception of Vietnamese.
Can you please consider supporting this protest. Details are as follows:
Chinese Community Council Demonstration against closure of Chinese Languages
When: 1 pm, Monday 4 May
Where: Outside K Block, Footscray Park campus, outside K Block, Ballarat road, Footscray
Please bring placards and people see you there.
Background
Closure of Languages Other Than English (LOTE) at Victoria University
LOTEs offered at Victoria University include Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Spanish. From 2010, with the exception of the Vietnamese, Victoria University will have no further intake into first year LOTEs programs and these programs will be gradually taught out.
This would be a considerable loss for Victoria University which has one of the most diverse student populations in Australia.
In a recent public statement Victoria University has indicated that it will be negotiating from 2010 for students at VU to undertake LOTEs at Melbourne University. However, it remains to be seen whether students at VU will be able to undertake these languages without restriction (e.g. only students with sufficient enter scores) and/or whether there will sufficient places in language units at the University of Melbourne for all VU students who may wish to undertake a language.
The current LOTE have been developed at VU since the 1990s in response to national language policies, and to the needs and demands of employers for graduates with qualifications in world and community languages. Chinese, Spanish and Japanese are 3 of the major world languages. LOTE also receives a much higher level of funding per student than other Arts units of study.
Reasons for retaining LOTE at Victoria University
There will be an increased need for LOTE teacher training at VU from 2009, because of recent Federal Government initiatives.
- The National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools program starts in January 2009. This $62.4m program targets Asian language learning in schools, specifically Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Indonesian, Korean. This program supports: additional Asian languages classes in high schools; teacher training and support to increase the number of suitably qualified teachers; specialist curricula for students who display advanced abilities in Asian languages and studies. (The most acute area of Asian language teacher shortage is Japanese.)
- The Rudd Government has identified all languages as part of the second tranch of national curriculum development. (Eg. The National Curriculum Board will work with the States and Territories from 2009 to provide incentives for school students to become proficient in a language.)
SIGNIFICANCE OF LOTE:
- Australian employers consider the ability to speak a second language makes a potential employee a more attractive employment prospect. 72% of employers surveyed (73 companies across 10 industries) considered that a second language enhanced a candidate’s employment prospects (International Education Association of Australia & QETI, 2006.)
- The languages considered most useful by employers are: Chinese; SE Asian languages; Spanish; Japanese. (Chinese is now the most spoken language in the world; in the next decade, Spanish and Hindi will overtake English as the second-most spoken languages.)
- LOTES provide opportunities for internationalisations: VU students studying abroad, exchanges and attraction of international students.
- The United Nations has declared 2008 the International Year of Languages.
Unesco states:
‘Languages, with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development, are of strategic importance for people and the planet . . . When languages fade, so does the world’s rich tapestry of cultural diversity . . . In this context, it is urgent to take action to promote multilingualism [. . . ] allowing each speaker community to use its mother tongue in private and public domains of language use and enabling the speakers to learn and use additional languages: local, national and international. Mother-tongue speakers of national or international languages should be encouraged to learn and use other languages of the country and regional and international languages.’
Alternatives to closing LOTE
Enrolment numbers in later year LOTE units at VU have been smaller than other Arts units because:
- The tight structure of vocational degrees at VU means that students can take only a small number of electives. Business and Law students usually take first year LOTE units, and not later year units.
- LOTE delivery does not accommodate vocational degree students (ie. Nursing) not at Footscray Park campus.
- LOTE have not been offered to Education students as teaching methods. (Japanese has VIT approval for 2009.)
However, there are a range of alternatives which have not been fully considered.
1. LOTE could be made available to a larger cohort of students.
- All LOTE could be offered as teaching methods in Bachelor of Education (HBED).
- Better timetabling to enable more students to choose LOTE; evening and burst mode delivery; more online support.
- All LOTES could be offered winter semester.
- Opportunities for students in vocational degrees and in cross-sectoral courses could be increased (ie. Liberal Arts) to study LOTE.
2. Delivery costs could be reduced for LOTE.
- Implement evening, burst mode and online delivery.
3. LOTE could be internationalised
- Double degrees developed specifying LOTE (ie. degrees combined with BA, International Studies – ABA).
- Increase opportunities for study abroad and student exchange, particularly with China, Japan and Vietnam. (Current opportunities could include: China and Vietnam Study Tours; exchange agreements with 7 universities in Spain and Mexico, Utsonomiya University in Japan.)
- Expedite current exchange negotiations with Liaoning University (China) and Tokyo Gakugei University (Japan).
LOTEs must be retained at Victoria University.
Please consider sending a protest email to Elizabeth Harman Vice Chancellor Victoria University elizabeth.harman@vu.edu.au, emailing your local parliamentarian, or writing a letter to your local newspaper.
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