The Taiwan Centre for Mandarin Learning in Australia: Policy Recommendations

Chinese language proficiency has been regarded as essential for Australia’s prosperity for the past three decades, and various policies and initiatives have been implemented to equip the population with such language capacity. The National Asian Languages and Studies in Australian Schools (NALSAS) program (1995-2002) and National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program (NALSSP, 2008-2012) identified Chinese as a priority language and provided financial support for its teaching and learning, while the Australia in the Asian Century White Paper (2012) also labelled Chinese a priority language in addition to recommending that businesspeople and public servants gain experience and knowledge of Asia. Most recently, the New Columbo Plan (NCP, 2014-present) provides funding for students to undertake study and internships in China (PRC) and other Asian countries.