Language lessons in Brisbane

Brisbane is Australia’s third-largest city and in the last few decades, it has experienced a population boom due to the increasing number of immigrants who choose to make this city their home.  According to the 2016 census, 33% of residents are foreign-born and come from countries like China, India and South Africa. All of these foreign communities brought their unique cultural influences to the city and turned it into the melting pot of cultures that it is today. As you can imagine, 24% of these diverse residents speak languages other than English at home. Among the most commonly used are Mandarin Chinese, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Spanish and Hindi.

If you want to understand the different cultures that can be found in Brisbane, the smartest thing you can do is to stop being monolingual. If you decide to learn a second or even a third language, you’ll be able to build meaningful interpersonal and business relationships with members of different local communities. What’s more, by learning about their different traditions and customs, you will become more sensitive to the different ways these communities see and experience the world. 

Where to study foreign languages in Brisbane

If you’re currently studying at university and you want to incorporate languages into your degree, you should consider some of the courses that the Brisbane Universities Languages Alliance offers. Here you’ll be able to learn more than nine languages including Russian, Spanish, Italian, Chinese and Japanese and also study the cultures where they are spoken. On the other hand, if you’re looking to boost your skills outside an academic setting, you can visit the Brisbane City Council Public Libraries around the city, which have a huge language collection. If you’re interested in Italian, for example, you should check out the Brisbane Square branch located at 266 George Street, where you’ll find many books in the language like La Cucina Italiana, a great cook book perfect for those wanting to learn about traditional Italian cuisine. 

Language exchange groups in Brisbane

One of the best places to meet other people who want to chat in other languages are the events held by Language Exchange Hub in Brisbane. With more than eight thousand members, it’s one of the largest communities of language enthusiasts in the city. Their free language exchange, held every Wednesday, is one of the longest-running meetings of this kind in Brisbane, and it attracts foreigners and language enthusiasts from all around the globe. They meet at Pig ’N’Whistle located at 102 Melbourne Street, a great British-themed bar where in addition to making friends you can enjoy beer, wine, and have something to eat. All you have to do when you get there is look for the table that has flag stickers and introduce yourself. After that, you’ll be placed with a smaller group of other people who want to practise the same languages as you do. 

Cultural institutions and events in Brisbane

Every June, you have the unique chance to attend one of the most multicultural events in the city, the annual Barrio Fiesta Brisbane. It takes place at Rocklea Showgrounds, located at 118 Goburra Street, and it’s a great celebration of the Philippines’ independence day as well as a celebration of cultural diversity in the city. This event, which promotes the rich cultural heritage of the Filipinos and the cross-cultural Australian Filipino culture, is a great place to enjoy their food, live cultural performances and traditional music. But that’s not all, as you’ll also be able to taste cuisine from other cultures and fun activities like face painting organised by the local Aborigine community. If you want to attend, the entrance fee is $5 for adults and it’s completely free for children under 13 years old.

Since 1997, one of the most notable cultural events in the city is the Buddha Birth Day Festival, a celebration of Australia’s diversity that promotes peace among the different communities that live in the country. Held in May at the Fo Guang Shan Chung Tian Temple, located at 1034 Underwood Road, it’s perfect for those who want to immerse in a wide range of unique experiences that include multicultural performances from many Asian local groups, traditional Chinese tea ceremonies, guided meditations, vegetarian food stalls from different counties and open Buddhist talks. Entrance to this festival is completely free, so it’s a great way to spend the day with the whole family. 

Language jobs in Brisbane

As one of the biggest business hubs in Australia, Brisbane has many job opportunities worth exploring. However, the job market is quite competitive, so if you want to stand out and land a high-paying position in successful industries like tourism, finance or education, adding more languages to your CV is the way to go. There are many positions in the area that are exclusive for bilingual speakers like Chinese-speaking Customer Service Specialist for Shopify, Vietnamese-speaking Support Worker for Sunny Care Home Service and French-speaking Front Desk Representative. As well as being able to access these unique chances, learning languages is key to building a successful business in the city, as it will allow you to connect to more potential clients in the foreign-born community and also partner with business owners from other countries that can help you expand beyond Brisbane. 

Get started now!!!

Are you eager to start learning languages in Brisbane? If so, your best choice is Listen & Learn. We offer flexible language courses that are completely personalised to your own interests and language goals. Before you start learning with us, you can check out our website, which has a lot of useful resources like free level tests in 19 languages that will only take you fifteen minutes and can help you assess how good your skills are. After you get a score, just send us a quick enquiry and one of our team members will get in contact with you in less than twenty-four hours to pair you up with some of our qualified teachers.