Why are Australians abandoning Asian languages?

Australians' lack of understanding of our own region is making the country increasingly vulnerable in a volatile security environment, according to the findings of a parliamentary inquiry released this week. The Federal Inquiry into Building Australia's Asia Capability found that fewer students are learning Asian languages at all levels of our education system, and there is less academic study of the region. That's despite the rising clout of China as a global super power, and India now our largest source of migrants.