Joseph LO BIANCO

From Precis

Joseph Lo Bianco holds the Chair of Language and Literacy Education at The University of Melbourne, and is Associate Dean for International Relations in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education as well as being Honorary Professor in Language Education at the University of Hong Kong. He was formerly Director of the National Languages and Literacy Institute of Australia. He has worked on language policy, literacy planning, bilingualism and multicultural education in many countries including Australia, Italy, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Western Samoa, Singapore, Northern Ireland, China and Scotland.

His recent books include: Australian Literacies: Informing National Policy on Literacy Education, with P. Freebody, 2001; Australian Policy Activism in Language and Literacy, with R. Wickert, 2001; Voices from Phnom Penh, Development and Language, 2002; Teaching Invisible Culture: Classroom Practice and Theory, with C. Crozet 2003; and Language Policy in Australia, Council of Europe, 2004. From 1999 through to 2003 he worked on teacher education for intercultural communication in Sri Lanka. He has more than 120 refereed publications, and is presently preparing for publication a joint volume on the identity consequences of mass English teaching in China, and on the subjectivity of learners involved in language education programs.

For his research and policy work in language and literacy education Professor Lo Bianco has been elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, and has been awarded the Order of Australia, the Centenary Medal and the title of Commendatore nell’ordine di merito della repubblica Italiana. He was awarded the 2007 College Medal by the Australian College of Educators in March 2007.