In recent debates about curriculum, Young (2008, p. 101) has proposed school learning must involve initiation into the "powerful knowledge" of the disciplines that underpin subject domains, thereby "giving students the tools to think the unthinkable". Opponents query whether such knowledge is available in subjects such as…

Discussion about how to monitor and increase participation in languages study is gaining relevance in the UK, the US and Australia across various sectors, but particularly in higher education. In recent times levels of enrolment in modern languages at universities around the world have been described in terms of "crisis" or even…

Reasons that foreign languages have both cultural and pragmatic-vocational contributions are discussed. Reasons for the decline in foreign language study in Australia and ways to reverse the present trends are presented. (SW)

Replies to Kirkpatrick's argument (1995) that Modern Standard Chinese, Japanese, and Korean should not be taught in Australian primary and lower secondary schools and that only traditional European languages and Indonesian should be taught at these levels. The response argues that these Asian languages should be taught alongside the traditional…

Discusses the teaching of European languages and less commonly taught languages at all educational levels in Australia. Reference is made to multilingualism and language instruction in other countries. (AM)

The status of modern Greek in Australian society and education are detailed in this report. Chapters include discussion of these issues: the history of modern Greek in Australia (Greek immigration and settlement, public and private domains of use, language maintenance and shift, and language quality); the functions of modern Greek in Australia…