Australia, explained.
A road sign in Papua New Guinea urging drivers to slow down (Neil Bowman/Getty Images)
If Australia wants to truly join the Pacific family, speaking the languages would help.
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Multicultural but monolingual: Australia’s Pacific disconnectMulticultural but monolingual: Australia’s Pacific disconnect
“Australia is the most multicultural country in the world” – a mantra many kids across the nation have heard. Statistically, the claim holds weight. The 2021 census showed that almost 30 per cent of residents in Australia are born overseas, and nearly half have at least one parent who was born overseas. Contrast that with the United Kingdom, where only 16 per cent of people living in Britain were born overseas.
Given this diversity, one might assume Australia would be linguistically rich. According to the 2021 census, roughly one in five Australians speak a language other than English at home. But the numbers drop when we look at how many Australians actively choose to learn another language. In the 1960s, around 40 per cent of Australian students graduated with a second language qualification. In 2021, that figure dropped to just 8.6 per cent.
This isn’t a global trend. Australia is falling behind. Eurostat’s 2023 data on language education shows that, on average, 96.8 per cent of EU students graduate with at least one foreign language, and 71 per cent with two. Australia barely registers by comparison.
It’s important to acknowledge the differences: Australia is geographically isolated, shares no land borders, and isn’t surrounded by Germanic or Latin-based languages. Still, we have regional neighbours – entire nations just across the ocean. So why are language education rates so low?
Why not offer a Pacific language in Australian schools? Australia can’t claim people-to-people ties in the Pacific when most Australians don’t even know who their neighbours are.
A 2014 study of Year 11 and 12 students in Australia showed that nearly three-quarters of students had some interest in studying a language. However, interest doesn’t mean enrolments. Students cited a variety of reasons not to study a language, including that other subjects are easier (57 per cent) more useful for their careers (80 per cent), or more likely to boost their university entrance chances (66 per cent).
So how do we boost enrolments when students see language study as too hard, irrelevant, or risky?
The US Foreign Service Institute ranks languages by difficulty for English speakers. Germanic and Latin-based languages fall into Categories 1 and 2 – the easiest. Asian languages, with fewer similarities to English, rank higher. Bahasa Indonesian, though structurally different, has phonetic pronunciation and simple grammar structures, placing it in Category 3.
Learning a Category 5 language from childhood is viable – but what about students who change schools, and have disrupted learning? Starting a Category 1 language in Year 9 isn’t impossible, but it’s certainly challenging. Students who switch schools or start languages late often have no beginner-level access. Many are placed in classes designed for continuing students, setting them up for failure – impacting grades and mental health.
Family connection and career goals also shape language choices. Students without ties to Asia or Europe may not see the value in studying Mandarin or French. China and France are far away, and not everyone envisions living or working overseas.
Perhaps it’s time for a new approach.
School kids on a road in Naimasimas, Fiji (Holger Leue/Getty Images)
Despite our Eurovision appearances, Australia isn’t European. And while we’re close to Asia, we aren’t Asian. However, we are part of Oceania. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade often highlights the importance of Australia’s people-to-people ties to the Pacific. Who could forget the $600 million deal to support NRL in Papua New Guinea? Australia is committed to its Pacific neighbours – at least from the top down.
But what about from the bottom up?
Most Australians can’t name the Pacific countries, let alone locate them on a map. And there’s virtually no Pacific language education in Australian schools. In fact, there’s scarcely mention of the Pacific Islands in most curriculums. One Victorian primary school made waves for offering Te Reo Māori in 2022, and the Australian National University offers Tok Pisin. However, no state offers any Pacific language at Year 11 or 12.
Australia can’t claim people-to-people ties in the Pacific when most Australians don’t even know who their neighbours are. Awareness starts with early education. Adults who grow up with no exposure to the Pacific are less likely to engage with it later.
Could there be a two-birds-one-stone solution?
Why not offer a Pacific language in Australian schools? Oceania has 1,300 living languages, with around 840 in Papua New Guinea alone. But three major Pacific countries – PNG, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu – share similar national languages: Tok Pisin, Pijin, and Bislama, respectively. These English-based creoles are mutually intelligible and grammatically simple.
Tok Pisin, for instance, is rooted in English, with a simplified structure. On the FSI scale, it would fall below Category 1 – substantially easier than French or Japanese. It’s also geographically relevant, with direct flights to PNG. Tok Pisin could appeal to students uninterested in traditional foreign languages, concerned about complexity, or impact on overall high school results.
Introducing Tok Pisin could foster cultural awareness, boost interest in regional travel and careers, and strengthen cross-cultural relationships. It could also create opportunities for school partnerships, student exchanges, teacher training,and shared curriculum development – all while deepening intercultural understanding.
While resources are currently limited, they do exist. Text books are available in Tok Pisin, Bislama, and Pijin. Bloom Library offers free children’s books online in all three dialect. And the Wantok Niuspepa – a weekly Tok Pisin newspaper – ships to Australia for $170 per year.
Creating a national Tok Pisin curriculum could also benefit the Pacific. Australia could share its teaching resources, helping fulfil its pledge to uplift regional education systems
Awareness. Education. Collaboration. These are the pillars of enhanced people-to-people ties. Tok Pisin could lead more students to language study by offering a practical, culturally relevant, and easier path. Through distance education, it could reach students in remote areas or those starting late in high school, giving them a chance to succeed without fear or disadvantage.
If Australia wants to truly join the Pacific family, this must start with youth and education. Australia cannot be part of the Pacific if most Australians don’t even understand the region.
About the author
Sheridan Ward
Sheridan Ward is a researcher on non-militarisation and countries without sovereign military institutions.
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