Spanish

In Brazil, where virtually the entire population speaks Portuguese, Spanish has obtained an important status as a second language among young students and many skilled professionals. In recent years, with Brazil decreasing its reliance on trade with the USA and Europe and increasing trade and ties with its Spanish-speaking neighbours (especially as a member of […]

Internet usage by language December 2013 Footnote 1 Internet users in millions and percentage of world total Country  Internet users by language (millions)  Internet users % of world total English  800.6  28.6 % Chinese  649.4  23.2 % Spanish  222.4  7.9 % Arabic  135.6  4.8 % Portuguese  121.8  4.3% Japanese  109.6  3.9 % Russian  87.5  3.1 % […]

Memorandums of understanding  (MoU) in education and training are developed to formalise relationships between the Australian Department of Education (DoE) and education ministries in foreign countries. Areas of cooperation include: staff exchanges development of institutional links co-operation in research and development recognition of qualifications and credit transfer exchange of information on education policy, systems, curriculum development, […]

Australia and Argentina have a mutually beneficial relationship based on many shared interests. They are both large Southern Hemisphere nations with relatively small populations and strong resource bases. Australia and Argentina agreed in principle to exchange diplomatic missions in December 1959, with Argentina opening its first embassy in Sydney in 1962 (moving to Canberra in 1963) […]

Being bilingual produces changes in the brain’s anatomy, scientists said in a finding that could explain why children are so much better than adults at mastering a second language. They found that people who speak two languages have more grey matter in the language region of the brain. The earlier they learned the language, the […]

The 2012 edition of the European Commission document Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe1 contains a statistical snapshot and an analysis of the situation of foreign languages teaching in the continent referred mainly to the academic year 2011-2012. The report provides a complete picture of the language teaching systems in place in […]

From two dozen in 1999, there are now over 260 Australian companies in Latin America, including 51 ASX200 companies. Most began in Chile, before expanding to Brazil and Peru. Australian Companies Operating in Latin America – 2014 Footnote 1  Some Australian companies operating in Latin America  Admiralty Resources  AGL Chile  Andean Resources  Ashburton Minerals  Ausenco […]

Prepared by Professor Alfredo Martínez-Expósito, The University of Melbourne and Ana López, Honorary Consul of Spain in collaboration with the Education Office of the Embassy of Spain this website offers up to date facts and figures to promote a better understanding of the Spanish language in Australian schools. There are many sections to explore, including the […]

“It is time to widen the focus of international education in Australia. The Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee (AVCC) has recognised this and, in its 2004 policy paper Achieving the vision for Australia’s universities, set the target for 20% of Australian students to include international study as part of their degrees by 2020,” according to AVCC’s president Professor […]

Spanish is the language of the Hispanic civilization, one of the greatest cultural groups in the world. Originating in northern Spain after the fall of the Roman Empire, the Spanish or Castilian language rapidly spread through the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. Spanish imperial expansion in the 16th and 17th centuries caused the Spanish […]

Australia and Peru celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations in 2013. As resource-rich countries bordering the Pacific Ocean, Australia and Peru share membership of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC). Australia and Peru have growing commercial, investment and people-to-people links and also engage in a wide range of multilateral bodies, particularly the United Nations and the World […]

In spite the severe economic and financial troubles the country has suffered during the last decade, Venezuela continues to be one of the foremost economic leaders of the region, with a very solid democratic system of government and a dynamic market representing a truly guarantee for national and foreign investments. Bilateral trade is modest, although […]

Recent reports from Universities Australia illustrate that over the past two decades there has been a steady increase in the number of formal agreements between Australian universities and international institutions. The peak body representing the university sector in Australia has been tracking the international linkages of Australian universities on a regular basis since 1991. In June of this […]

Relations between Australia and Chile are strong and based on many shared interests. Both countries are major southern hemisphere mining and agricultural economies, and share an Asia-Pacific trade focus. A free trade agreement, double taxation agreement and social security agreement underpin a growing trade and investment relationship. As members of The Cairns Group, Australia and […]