Iem

Incidental English for Migrants in Australia – Revised Edition

Australia the largest island continent in the world has now broken the twenty-three million people population barrier. At the end of World War 2 people whose lives were wrecked through war, politics and racism, many of them displaced persons, sought it out as a haven of freedom, refuge and opportunities. There were also those who wished to escape the ravages of poverty and bleak futures for their children, many coming from Italy and Greece. Australia became a robust multicultural society with some two hundred different nationalities, all aussies. Migration brings to the surface problems and hardships. People domiciled in Australia gave assistance, yet even in the seventies (evidently) much more had to be done. A small group of people, both native Australian and migrants, wanted to contribute towards alleviating the various distressing situations. A paper was researched, and this became a booklet called IEM English for migrants in Australia, widely distributed to educators and governments. It contained submissions and ideas that ranged from migrant language education, social integration and telephone services to ethnic Radio and TV. This publication contains the original IEM booklet with expanded explanations to highlight its contribution to the migrant story of Australia.