Indigenous Bilingual Education Programs in Australia Essay -- Austral

IntroductionDespite Australias ever- starting multiculturalism, it has been found that monolingualism is extraordinarily popular in Australia throughout the general population and all occupational levels (Bostock, 1973). With much(prenominal) an array of cultures present, one would assume that Australian training systems would stool dateless bilingualist programs in place. However, this is not the case. Despite the successes of bilingual education on a world(a) scale, little effort has been made to preserve all Australian languages, meaning that language death has become an everyday cipher that Indigenous individuals have to deal with (Wurm, 1991). This paper discusses the concept of bilingual education and its faults in the transition from theory to practice, the political and social reception of bilingual education and the bilingual education programs which have been resurrected internationally and nationally. In examining these areas, hopefully some clarity will be gained as to why bilingual education programs of Australian languages have been so unsuccessful. Bilingual Education as a Theoretical Concept.Bilingual education - in theory - is a concept that would enrich check outing, especially under a constructivist teaching method, as well as students, parents and teachers lives (Rossi, 1999). In encouraging children to learn under a self-directed method, the enriching nature of learning-to-learn allows youths to bring forward the positives of constructivism even further (Rossi, 1999). Consequently, not completely do they become independent, confident students, but have bilingual language competence, rather than just language action. Harris (1978) states that language performance is merely a speakers production of the words, sounds and phr... ...iarity with English. Consequently, this displays yet another(prenominal) positive of bilingual education in the family unit, reinforcing that the positives are restricted only to an educational means but stay with them as they continue to grow in society (Jaggs, 1975). International Bilingual ProgramsInternationally, bilingual programs have proved to be a success in enriching students academic and social lives and their bore of life overall. The bilingual program closest to Australia on a global scale is that of Maori-English bilingual education in New Zealand. Although the Maori language was patently stronger and had a fair chance of threatening the assimilationist movement of English, the main crusade force behind their fight to preserve their language was to fulfil the psychological needs central to the well-being of Maori individuals and groups (Durie, 1997).