To what ends? : the struggle for Asia literacy in Australia

Abstract

'Asia literacy' is an Australian aspiration to 'know Asia'. This thesis is thus a study of place, of language and of identity in relation to both 'Asia' and 'Australia'. I employ a critical spatial perspective and argue for the importance of context in conceiving the rationale for, objectives of and agency within Asia literacy. Context is not simply a question of classrooms and resources, or of which Asian societies and languages to prioritise. Rather, context is created in languages and cultural studies education through the value assigned to those language and cultures, the people who embody them and the places from which they originate. In this thesis, I argue that context within Asia literacy transcends physical classrooms in Australian schools and universities to also encompass the broader Australian community; educational institutions outside Australia and in Asia; and speech communities of Asian languages located within and beyond Australia. My focus in this thesis is not on investigating why provision and proficiency targets for Asian languages and Asian studies education, which comprise Asia literacy, have not been achieved. Rather, I am driven by the shortcomings in how Asia literacy has been conceptualised. What exactly is Asia literacy, who does it target and to what ends? I focus on conceptualisations of Asia literacy in Australia during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, which are also reflected in recent discussions and debates. Through a close reading of official reports into Asia literacy from these periods, as well as interviews with report writers, I demonstrate that rationale, objectives and agency have been narrowly conceptualised within Asia literacy. Australian education systems and their students have been the focus of Asia literacy. This excludes students and teachers from Asian backgrounds and conceals 'latent Asia literacy' within the broader Australian community. The rationale for Asia literacy has been increasingly linked to economic advantage: for Australian individuals and for the Australian nation. This 'economic promise' overlooks the fundamental importance of place for languages and cultural studies education. Languages do not have intrinsic values; their value is connected to those who use them. Value cannot be 'constructed' in a language independent of its speech communities. This means that future attempts to increase Australia's linguistic and cultural knowledge of 'Asia' cannot solely focus on languages and cultural studies education delivered in schools and universities. 'Asia', 'Asians' and the broader Australian community have important roles to play within Asia literacy in Australia. In this thesis, I also present the Australia-Indonesia 'Building Relationships through Intercultural Dialogue and Growing Engagement' (BRIDGE) project as a 'circuit breaker' to conventional conceptualisations of Asia literacy. By digitally connecting Australian and Indonesian schools, teachers and students, BRIDGE creates a third place in between Australia and Indonesia, transforming the objects of Indonesian language and cultural studies in creative subjects. The diversity of approaches that can be accommodated within BRIDGE for 'Indonesia literacy' also present a new model for broader 'Asia literacy' in Australia.