LOTE
LOTE stands for Languages Other Than English. It is a long-standing Australian term, used in education and policy, for any language other than English, whether a community's first language or one learned as a second language. In schools it names language-learning subjects; in services it frames provision for non-English speakers.
How it works
LOTE is used two ways in Australia. In education it names the study of a language other than English as a school subject. In services and policy it frames provision for people who use a language other than English, from translated materials to interpreting.
As a label it says nothing about which language or how well a person speaks English; it simply marks the presence of a language other than English, which is the starting point for planning language support.
How SourceTarget uses it
SourceTarget works across the range of languages Australian communities actually use, translating government, health and community content into and out of them, with human review sized to each audience.
LOTE compared with CALD
| LOTE | CALD | |
|---|---|---|
| Describes | Languages other than English | People from diverse backgrounds |
| Common in | Education and language provision | Health and community services |
| Answers | Which language is involved? | Who is the audience? |