Spanish is an Australian community language
Spanish is an important community language in Australia. According to the 2011 Census, 117,493 Australian residents speak Spanish at home. That would make Spanish the eighth most widely used language in the country, apart from English.
Question: Does the person speak a language other than English at home?
Answer: In the Australia, 18% of people spoke a language other than English at home in 2011
The Australia’s language statistics show the proportion of the population who speak a language at home other than English. They indicate how culturally diverse a population is and the degree to which different ethnic groups and nationalities are retaining their language.
Language spoken at home in Australia ranked by size 2011 / 2006
Language spoken at home in Australia and its capital cities 2011
Change in language spoken at home in Australia, 2006 to 2011
Some are recent arrivals, looking for a new start or further business opportunities in this country. Others have been here for a number of generations, such as the descendants of the first Spanish-born sugar-cane workers who settled in Queensland early in the century. Many, like the stunned survivors of the Spanish Civil War, or the Argentinean, Uruguayan, Chilean, Nicaraguan and Salvadorian struggles, have combated fascism, repression, poverty or injustice in their own land and have brought with them their hopes and ideals, their skills and expertise, their wisdom, their music, their art and their culture.1
There are important Spanish-speaking communities in all Australian capital cities, served by a network of Spanish-language newspapers, radio stations and TV programs. SBS broadcasts a daily 45-minute news service from Spain, and a weekly current-affairs program from Chile. The importance of certain community in one area determines the choice of second language at the nearby schools. This situation is assisted by the fact that some countries with numerous communities abroad, invest considerable amount of resources to promote their language. Although perfectly understandable, it is responsible to take all facts under consideration to choose a second language, to equip our society with the skills to operate in a globalize world, and the best chance to pursue their aspirations. Spanish is one of the nine Key National Languages identified by the Australian National Policy on Languages. This means that Spanish is important to Australia. Socio-economic developments in the 21st century will enhance the position of Spanish as a key international language.
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