SBS has partnered with Community Languages Australia (CLA) to launch the inaugural SBS National Languages Competition.
The new initiative aims to encourage and celebrate a love of learning languages in Australia at a time when nearly one in five Australians speak a language other than English at home while rates of language learning are on the decline.
“As the world’s most multicultural and multilingual broadcaster, SBS Radio is proud to launch this fantastic initiative to contribute to the social inclusion and cross-cultural understanding of young Australians – linguistically, sociologically and culturally,” said SBS director of audio and language content, Mandi Wicks.
“It comes from the heart of SBS and speaks to our purpose of inspiring Australians to explore and celebrate diversity.”
With more than 300 languages spoken, the competition hopes to inspire young Australians to explore and embrace what it is to be an Australian in all our diversity, and contribute to the retention and continuing development of language learning.
CLA students aged four to seven are encouraged to draw a picture that illustrates what learning another language means to them, while the secondary primary and senior categories are to write their response in a language other than English.
The top 72 entries from across the country will be presented on the SBS National Languages Competition website, and 24 of those will be eligible for the People’s Choice Award to be voted by the public from 30 August to 9 September.
Six lucky winners will be flown to the SBS National Languages Competition Presentation Ceremony in Sydney on Saturday 8 October to accept their award.
The competition is open to all CLA students in Australia aged four to 18, and draws to a close on 29 July.
For more information, go to sbs.com.au/nlc