Australian natives speak lots of different languages such as Cocos Malya, Gurindji Kriol, Kriol, and Maltralian. all of these languages make Australia vibrant and unique.
Language is a key marker of membership of an ethnic group. Language allows communication of values and beliefs of a particular culture and allows participation in family and community life. The majority of Australians speak English as a first or other language, however a significant number of people also speak languages other than English. About 77% of Australians speak only English.
While English is the dominant language in Australia, many people speak a language other than English within their families and communities. This linguistic diversity is an asset for Australia and makes Australia more competitive in trade as well as fostering international ties and cultural exchange.
The following data is derived from the 2011 Census:
Collectively, Australians speak over 200 languages [10] . Of these, about 50 are Australian Indigenous languages.
About 18% of Australians speak a language other than English. Australian Indigenous languages are spoken by about 0.3% of the total population.
The most common languages other than English are: Italian, Greek, Cantonese, Arabic, Mandarin and Vietnamese. Collectively, Chinese languages (including Cantonese, Mandarin and other Chinese languages) have the greatest number of speakers after English, accounting for approximately 3% of the total population.
The most common Indigenous languages differ between states and territories reflecting the origins of particular Aboriginal groups and their continuity with their traditional lands.
Over half (60%) of the Northern Territory's Indigenous population speak an Indigenous language, by far the greatest proportion of any state or territory. 13.5% of Indigenous people in Western Australia and 11.5% in South Australia speak an Indigenous language.
The Northern Territory has over half (56.1%) of Australia's Indigenous language speakers, with most of the remainder in Queensland (19.8%), Western Australia (15.6%) and South Australia (5.9%).
Language is a key marker of membership of an ethnic group. Language allows communication of values and beliefs of a particular culture and allows participation in family and community life. The majority of Australians speak English as a first or other language, however a significant number of people also speak languages other than English. About 77% of Australians speak only English.
While English is the dominant language in Australia, many people speak a language other than English within their families and communities. This linguistic diversity is an asset for Australia and makes Australia more competitive in trade as well as fostering international ties and cultural exchange.
The following data is derived from the 2011 Census:
Collectively, Australians speak over 200 languages [10] . Of these, about 50 are Australian Indigenous languages.
About 18% of Australians speak a language other than English. Australian Indigenous languages are spoken by about 0.3% of the total population.
The most common languages other than English are: Italian, Greek, Cantonese, Arabic, Mandarin and Vietnamese. Collectively, Chinese languages (including Cantonese, Mandarin and other Chinese languages) have the greatest number of speakers after English, accounting for approximately 3% of the total population.
The most common Indigenous languages differ between states and territories reflecting the origins of particular Aboriginal groups and their continuity with their traditional lands.
Over half (60%) of the Northern Territory's Indigenous population speak an Indigenous language, by far the greatest proportion of any state or territory. 13.5% of Indigenous people in Western Australia and 11.5% in South Australia speak an Indigenous language.
The Northern Territory has over half (56.1%) of Australia's Indigenous language speakers, with most of the remainder in Queensland (19.8%), Western Australia (15.6%) and South Australia (5.9%).