Copyright: Flickr
Languages are being learnt by fewer students in Melbourne, a recent study has found.
Around 32 per cent of students in Melbourne government schools have overlooked studying a language in favour of other subjects according to the 2015 Summary Statistics for Victorian Schools report.
RMIT University Spanish lecturer, Anamaria Ducasse, said she believes languages are not a priority in schools.
“(In) the rest of the world people grow up speaking two (languages) and often learn a third,” she said.
“(Perhaps) Australians may not consider our Asian or Pacific Rim neighbours’ languages and cultures sufficiently relevant or interesting for business or personal enrichment,” she said.
The increase in the migrant population in Melbourne has seen a total of 250 different tongues spoken around the city.
A study conducted by Fairfax Media in 2014 found three in 10 people speak a language other than English at home, which has more than doubled in the last decade.
In six per cent of suburbs, more than half of the population speak different languages at the dinner table.
In fact, in seven areas, English is not the dominant tongue spoken by residents.
However, fewer students elect to study a second language despite the various benefits.
La Trobe University Italian student, Erica Surace, is adamant learning a second language aids with the individual’s understanding of his or her mother tongue.
She insists more students should be made aware of the positive elements of a second language.
“Learning (a language) has more benefits than what it is given credit for,” she told the City Journal.
“(It) is beneficial for developing knowledge and abilities in your mother language, in particular grammar and education skills.”
“There is this misconception that learning a second language is unnecessary as you’ll never use it – this is the wrong attitude,” she said.
