What is Australias Official language? Not what you think

**isuzurover** · 22nd November 2010, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by It'sNotWorthComplaining!

Was out and about today and noticed more and more signage with English and Chinese on the signs.
Eg To let,( on a block of flats in English and Chinese below.) I started to get a little annoyed that people here need to inform others in different languages than to learn the language of the country.

But then I find that in the Australain constition, Australia does not have an official language. English is an adopted language but it is not written into the constitution as the official language.
NZ has English, Maori and Maori Sign as their offical language.
So here in Australia there is no law of the land that signs must be in english.
So we better start learning Chinese,

it's already posted in Melbourne Airport , No other languages seemed to be displayed for other countries? and it's very predominant in places like Boxhill and the surrounds
So why are schools teaching French, Japanese and German when signage is in chinese? May be Kevin 747 Rudd was onto something?

Firstly, you really need to change your username. Can I suggest:

ICan'tStopComplaining!

It'sNotWorthComplainingButThatWon'tStopMe!

Don'tClickJustAnotherRant!

99%OfMyPostsAreCompaints!

Back on topic:

What was the first language spoken in Australia??? By the time people spoke english, there were already ~200 languages and dialects.

French was the official language in england for a while.

Personally, I have no problem with signs in more than one language. I am sure if you went to study or work in China then you would appreciate any signage in english they had.

**one_iota** · 22nd November 2010, 07:48 PM

Google "speaking two languages"

This result for example: The Neural Advantage of Speaking 2 Languages: Scientific American

Apart from the known intellectual benefits there is that wonderful benefit called tolerance that mitigates against nasty things like ethnic cleansing, genocide and bigotry.

**KarlB** · 22nd November 2010, 07:50 PM

All those ****ed off about Australia not having an 'official language' wiill no doubt be able to recite the 'official national anthem' (both verses), know what the 'official national flower' is, and be able describe the 'official coat of arms' and the 'official flag'. Come on patriots, no cheating by looking it up on the net.

Cheers
KarlB

**Hymie** · 22nd November 2010, 07:56 PM

Originally Posted by KarlB

o recite the 'official national anthem' (both verses)

I can go 4 verses, and in the original text.

**KarlB** · 22nd November 2010, 07:58 PM

And when we've ****ed the Chinese off and stuffed our economy, and stopped all foreign tourism, we will be like Burma and Iran. Yippee! Won't that be great?

KarlB

**KarlB** · 22nd November 2010, 08:06 PM

Originally Posted by Hymie

I can go 4 verses, and in the original text.

Not sure what you mean by the original text Hymie, but the official national anthem only has 2 verses though the original version of it has 5 verses.

Cheers
KarlB

**cucinadio** · 22nd November 2010, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by isuzurover

Firstly, you really need to change your username. Can I suggest:

ICan'tStopComplaining!

It'sNotWorthComplainingButThatWon'tStopMe!

Don'tClickJustAnotherRant!

99%OfMyPostsAreCompaints!

Back on topic:

What was the first language spoken in Australia??? By the time people spoke english, there were already ~200 languages and dialects.

French was the official language in england for a while.

Personally, I have no problem with signs in more than one language. I am sure if you went to study or work in China then you would appreciate any signage in english they had.

and before that there were 250 different countries and over 700 different languages !!.....

**CraigE** · 22nd November 2010, 09:21 PM

Look I agree in principle people coming to live here should be able to read, write and speak English as a pre-requisite.
However multi lingual signs dont offend me that much, but other language alone signage does. Ask yourself does a menu in a french, italian, chinese restaurant offend you? We also have to target tourists that may not know english but spend money with signage.

It'sNotWorthComplaining! · 23rd November 2010, 02:44 AM

Originally Posted by CraigE

Look I agree in principle people coming to live here should be able to read, write and speak English as a pre-requisite.
However multi lingual signs dont offend me that much, but other language alone signage does. Ask yourself does a menu in a french, italian, chinese restaurant offend you? We also have to target tourists that may not know english but spend money with signage.

There must be a hell of a lot more Chinese tourists then and they all want to visit their home from home. We might want to go the next step and change the road signage as well and street signs as well.

It'sNotWorthComplaining! · 23rd November 2010, 02:58 AM

Originally Posted by Tikirocker

+1 ... Political correctness is the death of national identity - just look where England, France and Germany are going.

Simon.

Germany has actually addressed the the Turkish muslim problem where there are 2 societies, The have taken the step to teach the Imans ( I think they are called) to learn German. Then instead of the Government forcing the Turks to learn German. ( Which they won't do) but the Imans will encourage the other Turks to do so. They listen to their own kind first.
This is all to stop the non integration into German society and having a separate country within a country (So to speak) and also helps the Turks to obtain services etc.
Here in Australia we don't actively encourage integration, we encourage ethnic ghettos under the disguise of multiculturalism.
But back on the original topic, we don't have an official language

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