Ideas@TheCentre
Unempirical Asian languages alarmism
Reading the recent coverage of the debate about the adequacy of Australia’s Asia literacy, one could be forgiven for thinking there is a looming skills shortage.
Academics such as Professor David Hill from Murdoch University warn that the low numbers of students learning Asian languages could have ‘dismal educational, economic and security consequences.’
Politicians such as Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop and Education Minister Peter Garrett also argue that learning Asian languages ‘should be mandatory’ to ensure Australia has a ‘sustainable economy in the 21st century.’
Given that our nation’s security and prosperity are apparently on the line, one would expect details of the ‘dismal consequences’ of not learning Asian languages.
Sadly, a defining feature of the Asia literacy debate is the evidence vacuum. Academics calling for more Asian languages classes, as well as the politicians pledging to improve Australia’s Asia literacy, have failed to back up their rhetoric with facts.
Instead, the push to teach Asian languages to more students is justified on vague foreign policy grounds.
The story is as familiar as it is trite: As global power moves from the North Atlantic to Asian capitals and commercial centres, Australians need to be able to ‘engage effectively with Asia.’
Instead of relying on foreign policy jargon, Asia literacy advocates should tell us precisely why more students need to learn Asian languages.
Will there be a skills shortage in Asian languages as the Australian economy is increasingly integrated with Asia? What is the evidence for this impending skills shortage? How big is it likely to be?
Although these are difficult questions, Asia literacy advocates need to answer them to be taken seriously.
In the meantime, Asian languages alarmism should not scare us into expanding current language education programs.
Benjamin Herscovitch is a Policy Analyst at The Centre for Independent Studies and author of the forthcoming publication, Literacy Alarm Debunked: Language Policy in the Asian Century.
