ELEANOR HALL: For more than a century and a half, China has had a huge influence on Australia's economic, social and cultural life, and yet relatively few Australians can speak the main Chinese languages.
The Western Australian Premier, Alan Carpenter, is so keen to have more Mandarin speakers in his state that he's asked the University of Western Australia to investigate ways of improving the teaching of the language.
And the Prime Minister has listed Asian languages as a topic for discussion at tomorrow's Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting, as Scott Bevan reports.
[Kevin Rudd speaking Mandarin]
SCOTT BEVAN: When Kevin Rudd greeted Chinese visitors in their official language at the APEC summit in September, few Australians may have understood the words, but they got the meaning anyway - that this is a language worth learning. Then again, seven-year-old Caitlin Furber already knows that.
Why do you think we should learn this?
CAITLIN FURBER: Because then a lot of people can speak to Chinese people, maybe.
SCOTT BEVAN: The student of Randwick Primary School, in Sydney, is learning Mandarin.
Why do you like learning Chinese?
CAITLIN FURBER: Because I can talk to my friend in Shanghai.
SCOTT BEVAN: What do you say?
CAITLIN FURBER: Um, ni hao, ni hao ma?
SCOTT BEVAN: What does that mean?
CAITLIN FURBER: It means "hello, how are you?"
SCOTT BEVAN: The school's principal, Susan Allen, says Mandarin is prevalent not just in the classroom, but in the playground as well.
SUSAN ALLEN: About 25 per cent of our students come from a Mandarin-speaking background, and there would be about 50 per cent of our students who are actually learning Mandarin.
SCOTT BEVAN: Yet, too few Australians are following the linguistic path that Caitlin Furber is taking, according to David Holm, a professor of Chinese at the University of Melbourne.
DAVID HOLM: Up until very recently, the level of public interest in Chinese was remarkably flat in Australia, compared with other countries.
SCOTT BEVAN: Why has that interest been so flat in Australia compared to elsewhere?
DAVID HOLM: Well, quite honestly I think it's partly a result of the poor level of attention paid to language education generally in Australia.
We simply haven't been paying enough attention to language learning as a constituent of globalisation and internationalisation in this country.
SCOTT BEVAN: Politicians are acknowledging Australia is dragging the chain on Chinese languages.
Western Australian Premier, Alan Carpenter, has initiated a report into why more children in his state aren't learning the language of their biggest trading partner. The report by the University of Western Australia will also investigate what can be done to improve that.
And the issue of Asian languages is reaching the ears of the new Federal Government as well.
JULIA GILLARD: We're a long way behind where we need to be. Obviously, speaking the languages of our region is vital for this nation's future. The former government, the Liberal Party, ended Australia's Asian languages and studies program in Australian schools in 2002. That was the wrong decision.
SCOTT BEVAN: Julia Gillard is the Federal Education Minister. She says improving Asian language education will be discussed at tomorrow's COAG meeting, with the Prime Minister leading the way.
JULIA GILLARD: He will be talking to premiers and chief ministers about working in partnership to deliver our national Asian languages program, to make sure that the almost $70-million we're prepared to spend is matched by commitments from states and territories, so that we can give students opportunities to study languages, no matter what school they're in.
SCOTT BEVAN: Professor David Holm says Chinese mustn't be just on the tips of students' tongues, it's time for all sectors of the community, including business, to understand the financial and cultural value of learning the language, otherwise, he says, the nation risks falling behind.
DAVID HOLM: We're not starting from a zero base by any means, but it also is true that we're going to have to lift our game very considerably.
SCOTT BEVAN: Julia Gillard believes now is the time to start learning, and talking.
JULIA GILLARD: Obviously, we can't today make up the consequences of more than a decade of neglect from the former government of the importance of Asian languages. What we can do is we can start and deliver our program so it's better for the future, and that's our commitment.
SCOTT BEVAN: Minister, can you speak any Chinese?
JULIA GILLARD: No I can't, I'm afraid. I will defer to Kevin Rudd and allow him to do that for the Labor team.
ELEANOR HALL: That's the Federal Education Minister, Julia Gillard, sticking to English, ending that report from Scott Bevan.
ENDS