[lg policy] Australia: Real policies needed for language learning

[Harold Schiffman]

Real policies needed for language learning

Australia needs real policies and financial support for the learning
of a second language and not tokenistic gestures, says Greek
Australian lecturer Dr Anthony Dracopoulos


26 Mar 2013

Australia needs real policies and financial support for the learning
of a second language and not tokenistic gestures, says Greek
Australian lecturer Dr Anthony Dracopoulos.
Speaking at a function for the annual 'Dionysios Solomos' students
awards, organised by the Greek Festival of Sydney, Dr Dracopoulos said
"the noble efforts of the community to enable students to continue
with the study of Modern Greek at the highest level - at the
University - are not enough".
"We need the government to develop policies and to support financially
the learning of a second language.
"Statements such as the one expressed by the current Prime Minister -
'Australians should be in a position to communicate with their
neighbours' - cannot function as the foundation stone for a language
policy.
"Communication with the other is only the beginning, it is not an end
in itself," said the Greek Australian lecturer at Sydney University's
Department of Modern Greek.
In supporting the learning of another language, he said "it opens up a
new world from which we can draw symbols, images, concepts, with which
we can enrich our own world and create new ideas".
"Learning another language is not a luxury but a necessary condition
for inclusion. By learning another language one learns to self-reflect
and therefore one develops as an ethical human being, since every
moral stance is connected with being able to place oneself in the
position of the other."
Dr Dracopoulos applauded the incentives of the Greek Orthodox
Community of NSW and said that more such initiatives are needed to
recognise the efforts of students who learn another languages, and in
this instance Modern Greek.

http://neoskosmos.com/news/en/real-policies-needed-for-language-learning




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