Keeping a heritage language alive in Australia

Many Australian families speak a language at home that their children rarely use anywhere else. Over time, school, friends and screens tend to pull children toward English, and a language the parents love can quietly fade. This guide is for families who want to keep a home language going, and it draws on what researchers and NSW agencies say.

How common is this in Australia?

You are not alone. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that in the 2021 Census the most common languages other than English used at home were Mandarin (2.7 per cent of the population), Arabic (1.4), Vietnamese (1.3), Cantonese (1.2) and Punjabi (0.9) (ABS). We looked for exact counts for languages such as Greek, Armenian and Gujarati and could not confirm them at the ABS, so we do not quote any. If your language is one of those, the ABS Census tools let you search it directly.

Why does a home language fade?

A review of the research written for parents makes a plain point: a language kept out of the classroom is likelier to be lost, so it needs extra support, such as interaction with other children who speak it (Byers-Heinlein and Lew-Williams). It also stresses that plenty of interactive exposure matters, and that talking with people does more than screen time.

That fits ordinary experience. A child may understand a grandparent's language but answer in English, and over the years the understanding can thin too. None of this means failure, and the review adds that it is never too late to start, or to pick a language up again.

Does using the home language hurt English?

The review also reports that bilingual children face no higher rate of language difficulty or delay than monolingual peers. Separate counts for each language tend to run lower, while the combined vocabulary is about the same. It also advises honesty about how much of each language a child really hears. Our article on whether bilingualism confuses children goes through the findings in more detail.

What can a family do at home?

Ideas that fit most households:

• Pick a place for the language. Dinner, the car, Saturday morning, or a specific person who always speaks it.
• Use it for real things. Cooking, family stories, birthday messages, shopping lists, and talking to relatives by video.
• Bring in other speakers. Cousins, family friends, a community group or a tutor. Other children matter, so a child who only ever speaks the language with adults may come to see it as something for grown-ups.
• Read and sing. Short picture books, songs and rhymes. Do not worry about perfect accent.
• Accept answers in English at first. If a child understands and replies in English, that is still exposure, and you can recast their reply in the home language.
• Keep it positive. Corrections should be gentle. A child who feels judged tends to stop trying.

What does the school system offer in NSW?

The curriculum. The Australian Curriculum describes separate pathways for Chinese: one for students who speak Chinese in the home, one for second-language learners and one for those who identify with Chinese as their mother tongue. Other languages are set up differently, so check the entry for yours (Australian Curriculum). Whether a school offers your language depends on its resources.

The HSC. The NSW Government lists 32 languages for Stage 6 Continuers, including Armenian, Modern Greek, Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil and Vietnamese (Continuers). We did not see Gujarati on that page when we looked. The page also lists plain "Armenian", and we could not tell whether that covers Western Armenian, so ask the school or NESA before assuming it does. Some courses have eligibility rules, and the principal makes the decision (eligibility). Start the conversation with the school in Year 10, and see our guide to NSW languages and the HSC.

The Secondary College of Languages. This NSW Department of Education school offers a pathway for students to study their background community language, with classes on Saturday mornings and campuses in Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle, and students from both public and private schools can enrol (Secondary College of Languages). Check the site for the languages offered and enrolment dates.

How do I keep it going as my child gets older?

Teenagers often pull away from a home language because it feels like something that belongs to childhood or to parents. Honest conversation helps. Ask what would make it feel worthwhile: a link to a part of their identity, a chance to talk with relatives, a subject at school, or a future course or job. Because NSW lists Continuers courses in many community languages, it is worth asking the school early whether the language could be studied in the senior years. Some courses have eligibility rules and the principal decides, so treat that as a question to ask, not something to count on.

What if the parents don't read the script?

Many families speak a language they never learned to read or write. That is common, and it is not a barrier to speaking. If reading matters to you, a community class or a tutor can help, and some children enjoy learning the script alongside a parent. Start with sounds and a reading aid, and add characters gradually.

Where might XLingo help?

XLingo includes Greek, Western Armenian and Gujarati, each with six levels and, for some, readings in the Latin alphabet beside the script. It cannot stand in for talking with family and community. The price and free trial are on the pricing page.