Community language learning supported by religious and spiritual contexts

The growth of community languages (including immigrant and Aboriginal community languages) is acknowledged as a vibrant part of both languages education and community development, across Australia. The diversity of languages is today a key feature of life in the Australian landscape. A common focus in all language sectors is the intergenerational desire to strengthen identity, tradition, heritage, knowledge and wellbeing through community membership. Less well known is that community language learning may be in alignment with a religious or spiritual association. The role and purpose of the learning may be variously, to gain access to literacy and knowledge of texts or religious participation, to communicate with a social community which is focused on a religious institution, to access the spirituality and knowledge of Country and Indigenous identity through language. The religious/spiritual community can provide opportunity to develop language proficiency, motivation to use the language and emotional rewards in social and spiritual wellbeing. An emerging field in sociolinguistics, this aspect of community language development is of global research interest. This chapter will sketch some instances of these connections, drawing on recently collected narratives and related studies.