Bayswater South Primary School

LOTE News

Promoting Languages Other Than English

At Bayswater South, we have been promoting and demonstrating the benefits of learning languages for over 28 years. There are a great many benefits to our students of learning ANY language, and we know that learning a second or subsequent language enhances children’s understanding of language and the world in general. This has been consistently demonstrated by a large body of research from many countries over many years. You can research the advantages yourself on the Internet, a good starting point being the web site of the RUMACCC
Centre here .

 Facts about German Language

• 125 million speak German in Europe as their 1st language.
• German-speaking migrants have been arriving in Australia since 1838.
• 110,400 German-born residents in Australia.
• 30,000+ live in Victoria.
• 140,000+ German tourists to Australia each year.
• People in the Asia-Pacific region are very keen to attract investment from the world’s third largest economy – and are learning German.

Facts about English

• Most people in the world don’t speak English.
• Not all ideas and information are translated into English.
• 27% of Australians speak another language at home.
• Most people in the world speak more than one language.
• English speakers can learn other languages.
Let’s help to take the “foreign” out of language learning and promote the great benefits to our children, and hence our country, of languages education.