Community Languages and the 2001 Australian Census

Abstract

With migration becoming an increasingly global phenomenon, and with many countries taking on the new role of ‘immigrant nation’ where previously they had supplied emigrants to countries such as the United States or Australia, the issue of the management of linguistic resources is extremely timely. On the one hand, of course, there is the requirement to provide all permanent residents of a nation with access to an official language, through which they can enter employment, obtain education and participate in community life. On the other hand, there is the issue of what will become of the language of the immigrant, when that differs from the language of the host community — will it be actively discouraged from the outset, will it be retained until such time as the immigrant can function in the official language of the host country, will it be tolerated as a marker of identity for the first generation of immigrants, or will it be maintained, developed and transmitted to subsequent generations? And, to go one step further, will it remain within the confines of the community language group and their descendants, or will it be shared with the wider community?