Language Use of Immigrants in Australia

The following thesis examines Australia’s sociolinguistic situation in its historical context, providing the reader with a comprehensive overview of the language use of Australia’s different migrant groups. Focusing on the cultural, social, political, educational, historical and economic aspects which have influenced their language maintenance and reception, this paper investigates the opportunities afforded to immigrants in Australia both in terms of retaining their ethnic languages and improving their English language skills. There are distinct differences in the language maintenance patterns of various speech communities in Australia and it is the objective of this thesis to explain the many causes of their language maintenance and language shift. In exploring this text the reader will be familiarised with a multicultural and multilingual Australia that is characterised as much by its complex population as the diverse ecology for which it is renowned.