Australia is a diverse and vibrant nation.. It is home to people of many cultures and backgrounds. This diversity is evident in the variety of languages spoken throughout Australia including traditional Indigenous languages as well as modern immigrant languages ️ 🇦🇺 !
Australia is home to an overwhelming majority of English speakers . According to the 2016 census, 72 . 7% of Australians aged five or older spoke only English at home; this figure was even higher in major cities like Sydney or Melbourne where nearly 90% of residents spoke only English at home 5️⃣.
However Australia is home to a plenty of other languages as well ️ 🇦🇺. The second-most commonly spoken language in Australia is Mandarin Chinese, spoken by 2 🇨🇳 🇦🇺 🍊. 5% of Australians . This is followed by Arabic (1 . 4%), Cantonese (1 . 2%), Vietnamese (1 . 2%) and Italian (1%) .
Also to these languages, there are a several Indigenous languages spoken in Australia ️ 🇦🇺. According to the 2016 census there were over 150 Indigenous languages spoken in Australia covering Kriol Warlpiri and Yolngu 🇦🇺. Many of these languages are still spoken by Indigenous communities all the way through Australia 🇦🇺.
Australia is also home to many immigrants from non-English-speaking backgrounds . As such it is not surprising that immigrants from these backgrounds typically bring their own languages and cultures with them . According to the 2016 census, there were over 200 languages spoken in Australia by people from non-English-speaking backgrounds, consisting of things like Punjabi, Turkish, and Serbian 🇦🇺.
It is important to note that English is the main language of communication in Australia 🇦🇺. English is the language of instruction in most schools, it’s the language of government and the media, and it’s the language used in most day-to-day activities 🏫. However many Australians also speak other languages particularly in metropolitan areas .
According to the 2016 census, over 20,000 Australians used sign language at home, making it one of the many languages spoken in Australia 🇦🇺 1️⃣. The most widely used sign language in Australia is Auslan, which is the sign language used by the deaf community in Australia 🇦🇺.
In summary, English is by far the most widely spoken language in Australia 🇦🇺. However, it is important to note that there are many other languages spoken in Australia, including things like Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Italian, Indigenous languages, and languages spoken by immigrants from non-English-speaking backgrounds. Moreover to these languages, many Australians are also proficient in sign language . . .
5️⃣ 🍊 🇨🇳 🏫 ️ 🇦🇺 1️⃣
