WHAT AMAZING POSSIBILITIES LEARNING A LANGUAGES OPENS FOR YOU?

One in three older Australians were born overseas – the majority of whom originally from a non-English speaking country. Meanwhile, the number of school leavers graduating with a second language is declining. A Monash University project has found a creative solution to this problem by pairing up older migrants with high school students learning a second language. There are over 300 community languages spoken in Australian households. Yet, the number of people who spoke only English at home has risen by more than 500,000 since 2011. SBS is celebrating a love of learning languages in Australia in our SBS National Languages Competition from 15 October to 18 November. For the first time, this year’s competition is open to Australians of all ages who are learning a language, including those learning English. To find out more, visit sbs.com.au/nlc18 Celebrating Australia’s increasing cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversity, SBS launches the SBS National Languages Competition 2018 - a nationwide initiative to inspire and encourage language learning and retention. In its third year, the competition is expanding to engage Australians of all ages who are learning a language, including English and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. SBS Director of Audio Language and Content, Mandi Wicks, said: “SBS is the world’s most linguistically diverse public broadcaster. In addition to the nearly five million* Australians speaking a language other than English at home, we know many people engage with our services to help with language retention or to learn a new language. “SBS Radio is proud to once again launch this fantastic competition, which for the first time includes English as an eligible language, and engages all ages (including adult learners) in recognising the importance of language retention and learning. We are encouraging everyone to get involved and look forward to receiving thousands of inspirational stories from across the country.” Participants are required to submit a photo or drawing showcasing “what amazing possibilities learning a language opens for you?” accompanied by a caption in the language of their choice and an English translation. Entries can vary, from a picture of an individual, to a place or an activity, and for the first time, entries will be accepted from groups as well as individuals. Entries can be submitted online at sbs.com.au/nlc18 from today, Monday 15 October until Sunday 18 November, 2018, and winners will be selected based on their uniqueness and creativity.

Students attend a class at Alexandria Park Community School Source: AAP