Orientations to language as resource in world languages studies in Australian higher education

Submitted by: Mobina Sahraee Juybari
Abstract: Ruiz (1984) proposed a typology of language orientations, distinguishing 'language-as-problem', 'language-as-right', and 'language-as-resource'. Language is seen as a resource with various dimensions such as cognitive, cultural, social, and citizenship aspects (Lo Bianco, 2011) in language education setting. Despite this, there is a notable gap in exploring the representation of language states in multilingual English-speaking countries, such as Australia (Mason & Hajek, 2018). This study aims to investigate how language is perceived within world language studies programs in the context of higher education. The term world languages refer to the languages that are widely spoken across the world such as English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic. This study focuses on orientations towards language(s) in Chinese and Spanish world language studies within Australian higher education institutions. To achieve this, the research conducted interviews with Chinese and Spanish language educators and program coordinators, observed language educators' classes, and administered student surveys to gain insights into how the language of instruction and other languages used in the classroom are viewed. The findings revealed variations in the perception of the language of instruction in Chinese and Spanish language studies classes, as well as differing orientations towards students' languages. Furthermore, the observations underscored the dynamic nature of language as a resource, which varies depending on the instructional context. This study has important implications for understanding the role of language and language diversity as valuable resources within higher education world language studies, not only in Australia but also beyond.

Keywords: Higher education; Language as a resource; Multilingualism; World language studies

Reference:
Lo Bianco, J. (2001). Language and literacy policy in Scotland—SCILT. Retrieved from https://www.scilt.org.uk/Portals/24/Library/publications/languageandliteracy/Language%20and%20literacy%20policy%20in%20Scotland_full%20document.pdf