ABSTRACT
In Australian language policy, the positioning of Indigenous and immigrant languages varies. Sometimes they are treated separately and sometimes collectively, even within single policy documents, and have frequently been embedded in more general language education policies. In many policies, Indigenous and immigrant languages have been grouped together as part of the learning area “Languages Other Than English,” which has primarily focused on foreign language learning, and the specific needs of heritage learners have often not been adequately considered. Where heritage language speakers have been more explicitly recognized, Indigenous and immigrant speakers have usually been treated under separate policies with different provisions for each. Even where language maintenance has been seen as a key element of language education, immigrant language programs were often opened to all learners and catered for nonbackground speakers rather than heritage learners. The education of heritage speakers of immigrant languages has largely been moved into complementary schooling in the ethnic schools sector. Indigenous languages have largely been reserved for Indigenous learners, but Indigenous language programs have come under pressure because they are seen as conflicting with English language development.
