Language policy in Australia : what goes up must come down?

This chapter charts the shifts in language policy in Australia in order to gain an understanding of the inherent contradictions that have characterised it. It begins with an overview of the different phases of language policy-making in Australia and then discusses major national language policy initiatives from 1987 to the present. The chapter ends by asking whether the time has come for Australia to embark on a new, more comprehensive national languages policy, reflecting the realities of the 21st century.