Join us for a public lecture on multilingualism, which will be concluding the Symposium on bilingualism and multilingualism in education in the Oceania-Pacific region. Professor Joseph Lo Bianco will argue that to truly ‘secure’ the future is to re-think all the assumptions we have inherited, one of them being the naturalisation of monolingualism as a more stable, normal and necessary state. Most of the world, and many of the world’s peoples, have lived in and with multilingualism as the ‘normal’ state for much longer. Multi communication forms can and will produce better education outcomes in Pacific Island countries, more secure ‘national’ futures, and more ‘intact' cultural systems. Such considerations are also extremely relevant to Australia, which has a robust multilingual society due to its indigenous communities and migration. Representatives from New Caledonia and New Zealand will also attend the lecture.

Light refreshments will be available from 5.30pm, with the talk commencing at 6pm.

Joseph Lo Bianco is professor of Language and Literacy Education in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne. Currently he is completing a four year project in SE Asia on language – policy and peace building in conflict zones in SE Asia. Recent publications include: Learning from Difference: Comparative Accounts of Multicultural Education, (Springer, 2016) and Conflict, Language Rights, and Education: Building Peace by Solving Language Problems in Southeast Asia.

Seating is limited please register via Event Brite.

Presented by the Embassy of France in Australia and the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language.