Abstract
Educational issues are a regular feature in mainstream media, and the ways in which particular issues are represented can influence public perceptions of the various discipline areas and, in turn, policy decisions that affect them. While the research literature includes media coverage analyses of a wide range of educational disciplines and sectors, missing is an understanding of the media representations of language education in the tertiary setting, despite languages being seen as a key pathway to generalised national multilingualism, social harmony, and economic prosperity. The authors address this gap using Australia as a case study, a country that has seen considerable policy and media attention to language education in general over many years. A content analysis of print newspaper coverage from 2007–2016 was conducted, revealing that the coverage of the discipline area at the tertiary level is extremely limited, is generally superficial in depth, narrow in scope, and negative in tone. This representation perpetuates the already precarious position of language education in Australian universities, and there is little support for a more positive and visible public agenda.
About the authors
Shannon Mason is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at Nagasaki University. After teaching languages in Australian schools for more than 10 years, she now teaches pre-service and in-service language teachers in Japan. Her research interests include language teacher attrition, language education programs, and the representation of educational issues in the media.
John Hajek is Professor of Italian Studies and Director of the Research Unit for Multilingualism and Cross-cultural Communication (RUMACCC) at the University of Melbourne. He was also founding President of the Languages and Cultures Network for Australian Universities (LCNAU) established to support teaching and research in languages in Australia’s tertiary sector. He has a broad range of research interests and has published widely, including on language education across all sectors in Australia.
Appendix
Article codes
| Code | Headline | Year | Publication | First author |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Landmark Indonesian language course lost | 2012 | Australian | B. Lane |
| 2 | In the Asian century, it’s time to learn an Asian language | 2012 | Canberra Times | L. Singh |
| 3 | We need to talk about Hindi | 2012 | Australian | J. Ferrari |
| 4 | Don’t let languages languish | 2007 | Australian | M. Clyne |
| 5 | Too few keen to speak in tongues | 2008 | Australian | J. Rowbotham |
| 6 | Learning a new tongue tied to funding | 2012 | Australian | B. Lane |
| 7 | Language programs School starters set up to fail the 2025 Asia literacy target | 2013 | Sydney Morning Herald | J. Garnaut |
| 8 | In simple everyday language, unis get it | 2014 | Sydney Morning Herald | J. Donald |
| 9 | Languages staff, students fear for school in ANU ‘restructure’ | 2016 | Australian | J. Ross |
| 10 | Language studies plan backed despite high cost: | 2012 | Age | B. Preiss |
| 11 | Cranbourne school’s decision to teach Hindi vindicated: ‘The students enjoy saying namaste to me each morning’ | 2012 | Age | J. Topsfield |
| 12 | Multicultural but still monolingual | 2007 | Australian Financial Review | L. Slattery |
| 13 | Dumping Korean at school ‘blunder’ | 2012 | Newcastle Herald | B. Lane |
| 14 | No ifs or buts, just more Rudds please | 2008 | Age | K. Yeoh |
| 15 | Mind your language | 2012 | Age | T. Lindsey |
| 16 | Push to boost China studies in Canberra | 2014 | Canberra Times | H. Belot |
| 17 | Dire state of Indonesian studies reflects a ‘reality gap’ LANGUAGES – ASIA WHITE PAPER – | 2012 | Australian | P. Alford |
| 18 | Language ignorance holds us back: major | 2007 | Canberra Times | E. Macdonald |
| 19 | All that buzz on studying abroad | 2014 | Australian | B. Lane |
| 20 | Contrarian calls for shift in focus from early language programs | 2013 | Australian | B. Lane |
| 21 | Talking up the place next door | 2012 | Age | B. Preiss |
| 22 | Asian language focus | 2009 | Courier Mail | M. Wenham |
| 23 | Language departments risk losing their essence | 2010 | Australian | B. Lane |
| 24 | Foreign concepts | 2007 | Courier Mail | T. Livingstone |
| 25 | Parents vocal on language teaching | 2007 | Age | B. Smith |
| 26 | It’s all Greek to the kids; STUDY | 2008 | Age | F. Tomazin |
| 27 | Languages undervalued; Cover story | 2007 | Illawarra Mercury | K. McInerney |
| 28 | Language learning ‘in crisis’; School | 2007 | Age | D. Ryan |
| 29 | Top unis to tackle languages crisis | 2007 | Australian | M. Rout |
| 30 | A blinkered approach to languages | 2007 | Australian | L. Slattery |
| 31 | Schools need to focus less on China’s languages and more on its successes | 2007 | Age | C. Bantick |
| 32 | Lost in translation: language crisis targeted; Universities want national push | 2007 | Age | F. Tomazin |
| 33 | Encouraging signs on the Asian front | 2009 | Australian | D. Hill |
| 34 | Schools set Asian lingo challenge | 2009 | Age | J. Gordon |
| 35 | An investment that speaks for itself | 2009 | Australian | J. Lo Bianco |
| 36 | Lost in language wasteland | 2010 | Australian | G. Groot |
| 37 | Four-year-olds ‘need extra language’ | 2008 | Advertiser | L. Hood |
| 38 | RUSH TO GONSKI SENDS WRONG MESSAGE IN THIS ASIAN CENTURY | 2013 | Australian | D. Shanahan |
| 39 | Future depends on Asian languages | 2009 | Australian | G. Healy |
| 40 | Arabic is ANU’s fastest growing language school | 2008 | Australian | H. Bennett |
| 41 | Lost in translation means the same in any language | 2008 | Age | unknown |
| 42 | Uni axes foreign languages for English | 2009 | Australian | R. Callick |
| 43 | Learn new language and score good job | 2010 | Sunshine Coast Daily | B. Hoffman |
| 44 | Language cuts under fire | 2012 | SMH | H. McDonald |
| 45 | University cuts could see loss of academics | 2015 | Canberra Times | T. McIlroy |
| 46 | Uni languages blow | 2009 | Maribyrnong Leader | B. Ryan |
| 47 | How ‘user pays’ has tied our tongues | 2008 | Australian | T. Mehigan |
| 48 | Minding our language | 2008 | Age | T. Hyland |
| 49 | Survey on language academics springs a surprise | 2011 | Australian | B. Lane |
| 50 | Teacher blow to foreign language bid | 2012 | West Australian | B. Hiatt |
| 51 | Slip of the tongues at schools | 2009 | West Australian | T. Fox |
| 52 | Carr urges Indonesian study – ELECTION 2013 – | 2013 | Australian | M. Rout |
| 53 | All talk and too little diction | 2012 | Canberra Times | unknown |
| 54 | No quick fix in anyone’s language | 2011 | Age | J. Lo Bianco |
| 55 | Student still in thrall to language ‘bug’ | 2012 | Age | B. Preiss |
| 56 | NO ASIA-LITERACY IN WEASEL WORDS | 2013 | Australian | G. Sheridan |
| 57 | Education system given a fail: Henry urges more language study | 2012 | Age | P. Martin |
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