Page 7 - Curriculum Newsletter_Term4_Issue4

Choosing words wisely

Languages or LOTE? Modern and Foreign? Language A or B or implications.
Language Acquisition? Does it really matter what term we ‘LOTE’ isn’t an ideal name if we want to change
use to describe second language learning in schools? the status of Languages in the curriculum”
(Sen, 2018)
For those who speak, learn and teach language, English and
other, it does matter. Language is central to identity and to In Australia, curriculum policy makers took the positive step
learning. For that reason we need to think more deeply over a decade ago to change the name to the Languages, a
about the labels we give to languages and the impact this will term that is more inclusive, broader and suggestive of
have on our students and communities. When the languages literacy objectives, rather than an object of otherness. It is up
we grow up with are referred to as ‘other’ or ‘foreign’, it to us in schools, to ensure that the name LOTE remains at
fosters a sense of exclusion and difference. For the one bay and to educate staff, students and parents why we insist
million Australians who speak Chinese, the settings of their on calling it Languages.
language use are more
likely to take place in a suburban home of Melbourne or
“Languages” is the current state and nationally
Perth rather than in some faraway land. Notions of language
agreed term for the learning area that was formerly
‘otherness’ and ‘foreignness’ are truly challenged when we
referred to as “LOTE” (Languages Other Than
consider the 250 First Nations languages that have been
English). “Languages” has been in use for over a
spoken on this land for tens of thousands of years. If our
decade and is reflected in state and national
languages are measured against the ‘norm’ of English,
curriculum documents including the 2008
bilingualism is often perceived through a ‘language-as-a-
Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for
problem’ lens (Baker & Wright, 2017). A more recent holistic
Young Australians, the Australian Curriculum and the
orientation on bilingualism, one that
Western Australian Curriculum.
provides evidence of its cognitive, social and health benefits,
is commonly known as the ‘multilingual turn’. Yet the old nomenclature is still being used in many
of our schools. While second language teachers have
While delivering the 2018 Nick Norris Memorial Lecture,
become accustomed to defining their role as an
Professor Krishna Sen cheekily quipped “I grew up speaking
Italian or Japanese Teacher; school timetables, on
LOTE! 95% of the world’s population speak LOTE” to highlight
websites, name tags and other signage still use the
that such naming takes away the complexity and richness of
outdated acronym of LOTE. The term is still widely
all the “great languages of the world”:
used in the USA, while “MFL” (Modern and Foreign
“The way we name something allows us to Languages) is the equivalent acronym used in the
frame how we talk about it. Everything, every UK.
word, every concept we use has political

2018 Term 4 | Issue 4 Page 7