• Semester 1 (Day)
• Semester 1 (External)

Synopsis

Australia  is increasingly acknowledging the multicultural  nature  of
its  society. Teachers who are involved in language teaching,  whether
they are teaching first or second languages are generally not aware of
the  educational  and  social  issues  involved  in  bilingualism  and
biculturalism/multiculturalism. This unit looks mainly at  educational
issues,  but  these  are  set  against  the  social  ramifications  of
bilingualism and multiculturalism.

The  unit  will cover the following topics: Definitions and typologies
of   bilingualism  and  multiculturalism  and  language   maintenance;
relationships  between policies and bilingualism and multiculturalism;
bilingualism  and  cognition; how bilingualism  is  measured;types  of
bilingual  education and their educational outcomes; bilingualism  and
the   education   of  minorities,  and  education   policies   for   a
multicultural Australia.