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Australia has no official language, but English is the first language of most Australians and has been entrenched as the de facto national language since British settlement in 1788. It is the language used in compulsory education, federal legislatures, and courts, and is spoken in the home by 72% of Australians. However, there are hundreds of Aboriginal languages, and the increase in the migrant population has led to a decline in the number of people speaking only English at home.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Is English the official language of Australia? | No, Australia has no official language. |
| What is the de facto national language of Australia? | English |
| What percentage of Australians speak English at home? | 72% in 2021 |
| What percentage of Australians speak a language other than English at home? | 22.8% in 2021 |
| What are the most common languages spoken at home other than English? | Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Punjabi, Greek, Italian, Hindi, Spanish, Nepali |
| What are the most widely used Aboriginal languages? | Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole), Kriol, Djambarrpuyngu, Pitjantjatjara |
| How many Aboriginal languages are there? | At least 250 when Australia was colonised, of which more than half are spoken today |
| How many Aboriginal languages have become extinct since 1950? | Most, with only a few thousand speakers of the surviving languages |
| What are some examples of Australian English? | Arvo (afternoon), barbie (barbecue), smoko (cigarette break), Aussie (Australian), Straya (Australia) |
| What are some regional differences in Australian English? | TRAP-BATH split in South Australia, pronunciation of "but" in Western Australia and Queensland, pronunciation of "full/fool" and "pull/pool" in Victoria |
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What You'll Learn
English is not Australia's official language
Australia has no official language, despite English being the first language of the majority of the population. In 2021, 72% of Australians used English as the only language spoken in the home. It is also the main language used in compulsory education, as well as federal, state and territorial legislatures and courts.
English has been entrenched as the de facto national language since the onset of British settlement in 1788, when it gradually overtook Indigenous languages to become the majority language. However, there are several reasons why English is not Australia's official language. Firstly, it was never necessary to make English the official language as it was already widely used. Secondly, making English the official language would require a costly referendum, as Australia's constitution requires a referendum for any amendment. Thirdly, if English were to be made the official language, Australian sign language and Indigenous languages would also need to be included as official languages, as they have been used much longer in Australia than English.
Although English is the most widely spoken language in Australia, there are many other languages spoken throughout the country. Over 250 Australian Aboriginal languages are thought to have existed at the time of first European contact, and around 120-170 Indigenous languages and dialects are still spoken today. However, many of these are endangered. The Australian government has committed $14.1 million over four years to teach First Nations languages in primary schools across Australia, and there are also 20 Indigenous Language Centres across the country that receive government funding.
In addition to Indigenous languages, other languages spoken in Australia include various creoles, such as Kriol and Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole), which are among the fastest-growing Indigenous languages. Cocos Malay, a Malay-based creole, is spoken by around 700 people on the Cocos (Keeling) and Christmas Islands. The proportion of Australians speaking a language other than English has increased in recent decades due to immigration, especially from Asia. In 2021, 5.8 million people (22.8% of the population) reported using a language other than English at home, with the most common languages being Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Cantonese, and Punjabi.
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English is the de facto national language
Although Australia has no official language, English is the de facto national language. It is the first language of the majority of the population and has been entrenched as the de facto national language since the onset of British settlement in 1788. It is the language used in compulsory education and in federal, state, and territorial legislatures and courts.
The distinct variety of English spoken in Australia, known as Australian English, began to diverge from British and Hiberno-English after the First Fleet established the Colony of New South Wales in 1788. The early settlers came from various dialectal regions of Great Britain and Ireland, bringing a diverse range of accents and dialects with them. As a result, a new dialectal melting pot was created, with the most significant influences being the dialects of South East England. By the 1820s, the native-born colonists' speech was noticeably distinct from British and Irish speakers.
Australian English has a unique accent and lexicon and differs slightly from other varieties of English in grammar and spelling. While there is no central authority that prescribes official usage, several dictionaries of Australian English exist, adopting a descriptive approach. Some examples of unique Australian English vocabulary include "arvo" (afternoon), "barbie" (barbecue), and "smoko" (cigarette break). The pronunciation of certain words also differs, such as the TRAP-BATH split in South Australia, where "trap" has a short vowel and "bath" has a long one.
The use of English in Australia is deeply rooted in the country's colonial history and the imposition of British language and culture on the Indigenous people. Before colonisation, there were at least 250 Indigenous languages in Australia, of which more than half are still spoken today. However, many Indigenous languages have become extinct or endangered due to centuries of suppression. Today, English is the primary language of communication and instruction in Australia, with over 70% of Australians using it as the only language in their homes.
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages
Although Australia has no official language, English is the first language of the majority of the population, and it has been entrenched as the de facto national language since the onset of British settlement in 1788. In 2021, 72% of Australians used English as the only language spoken at home.
However, before the British colonisation of Australia, there were several Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages spoken in the region. In 2021, over 150 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages were actively spoken, with 76,978 (9.5%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people reporting speaking an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language in that year. This number has decreased over the past 20 years, from 12.1% in 2001.
There are three languages spoken in the Torres Strait Islands: two indigenous languages and an English-based creole. The indigenous language spoken mainly in the western and central islands is Kalaw Lagaw Ya, also known as Kalau Lagau Ya, Kalau Kawau Ya, Kulkalgau Ya, and Kaiwaligau Ya. The literature often refers to this language as Kala Lagaw Ya. It belongs to the Pama-Nyungan languages of the Australian mainland and is related to languages spoken on the Australian mainland. The other indigenous language spoken mainly in the eastern islands is Meriam Mir, a Papuan language and a member of the Trans-Fly languages spoken on the nearby south coast of New Guinea. Both languages are agglutinative, but Kalaw Lagaw Ya appears to be transitioning into a declensional language.
The third language, Yumplatok, or Torres Strait Creole, is a non-typical Pacific English Creole and is the main language of communication on the islands. It is the most commonly spoken language among the three. Torres Strait Creole is also spoken in Queensland and southwest Papua, and it is one of the fastest-growing Indigenous languages.
Several towns and suburbs in Australia derive their names from Aboriginal words. For example, the capital, Canberra, is named after a local Ngunnawal language word thought to mean "women's breasts" or "meeting place". Additionally, some politicians have used Indigenous languages in their maiden speeches to the Australian parliament.
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Influence of immigration on language
Australia has no official language, but English is the first language of the majority of the population and has been entrenched as the de facto national language since the onset of British settlement in 1788. It is used as the only language in the home by 72% of Australians.
The country's rich indigenous cultures and experience of mass immigration have long made it one of the world's most multilingual and multicultural societies. The 25 million Australians today are identified with more than 300 ancestries and speak around 490 languages, with about 22.8% of Australians reporting using a dominant language other than English in their homes.
Major waves of immigration following the Second World War, especially from European countries, and in the 21st century, especially from Asia, have considerably influenced the language landscape in Australia. The proportion of Australians speaking a language other than English increased after the Second World War due to the immigration of refugees and displaced persons from European countries. In the 21st century, there was another sharp increase in immigration, especially from Asia. In 2021, 5.8 million people (22.8% of the population) reported using a language other than English at home. The most common of these languages were Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Punjabi, Greek, Italian, and Hindi.
The language shift rate of migrants has been observed to be influenced by a number of variables, including language policies, the concentration of migrant speakers, generations, marriage patterns, and economic and trade factors. For instance, the higher language shift rate by new arrivals from Hong Kong in recent years may be explained by the change in the population composition of the migrant group. As Australia's immigration policy shifted to favor more skilled and business immigrants from emerging Asian economic centers, the newly arrived migrants were generally more educated, with many obtaining university qualifications in Australia, which may promote a shift to English.
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Australian English is distinct from British English
Australia has no official language, but English is the first language of the majority of the population. It has been entrenched as the de facto national language since the onset of British settlement in 1788, being the only language spoken in the home for 72% of Australians in 2021. Australian English is a major variety of the language with a distinctive accent and lexicon, and differs slightly from other varieties of English in grammar and spelling. Here are some ways in which Australian English is distinct from British English:
Vocabulary
Australian English has a unique vocabulary that has evolved over time. Some words and expressions that are commonly used in Australian English include:
- "Arvo" for afternoon
- "Barbie" for barbecue
- "Smoko" for cigarette break
- "Aussie" for Australian
- "Straya" for Australia
- "Footy" for rugby league or rugby union, depending on the local area
Additionally, Australia has also developed a large lexicon of its own, giving the world new terms for flora and fauna from indigenous Aborigines, such as kangaroo and dingo. Other unique Australian words include "cobber" (friend), "battler" (a worthy person who is struggling to survive), and "bludger" (someone who lives off the work of others).
Phonetics and Phonology
The vowels of Australian English can be divided according to length. The long vowels, which include monophthongs and diphthongs, mostly correspond to the tense vowels used in Received Pronunciation (RP). The short vowels, consisting only of monophthongs, correspond to the RP lax vowels. There are also pairs of long and short vowels with overlapping vowel quality, which gives Australian English a phonemic length distinction.
Grammar
Australian English also has some distinctive grammatical patterns. For example, the interrogative "eh" (also spelled "ay" or "aye") is commonly used. In informal speech, sentence-final "but" may be used, such as "I don't want to go but" instead of "But I don't want to go". This construction is also found in Scottish English.
Regional Variations
While Australian English is relatively homogeneous across the country, some minor regional differences in pronunciation and vocabulary exist. For example, in some parts of Australia, notably Victoria, the vowel sound in words like "full" and "pull" is pronounced differently than in other regions. Additionally, the dialects of English spoken in the various states and territories of Australia differ slightly in vocabulary and phonology.
In summary, while Australian English is similar to British English in some ways, it has developed its own distinct accent, vocabulary, and grammatical constructions. These differences can be attributed to the influence of various dialects from early settlers, as well as the unique cultural and historical context of Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Australia has no official language.
English is the de facto national language of Australia and is spoken at home by 72% of Australians.
There are hundreds of Aboriginal languages, though many have become extinct since 1950. The most widely used Aboriginal languages are Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole), Kriol, Djambarrpuyngu, and Pitjantjatjara. There are also many languages spoken by immigrant groups in Australia, including Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Punjabi, Greek, and Italian.
English was introduced to Australia through British settlement in 1788 and gradually overtook Indigenous languages to become the majority language.
Australian English is a variety of English with a distinctive accent and lexicon and differs slightly from other varieties of English in grammar and spelling. Australian English began to diverge from British and Hiberno-English after the Colony of New South Wales was established in 1788. The diverse range of accents and dialects of early British and Irish settlers influenced the development of Australian English.
