Multilingualism: Its open and hidden agendas
PDF

Keywords

European language policy
plurilingualism
multilingualism
second language teaching
multilingual teacher
language learning
assessment

How to Cite

Komorowska, H. (2013). Multilingualism: Its open and hidden agendas. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 3(4), 463–482. https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2013.3.4.2

Number of views: 927


Number of downloads: 559

Abstract

The author analyses tendencies presented in recently launched EU reports claiming that newly published data reveal a need to rethink approaches to individual and social multilingualism. In the first part of the article approaches to individual as well as to societal multilingualism are discussed from a historical perspective. In the second part meanings ascribed to the promotion of multilingualism are analysed from the language perspective together with the use made of them in the field of social and political activity. Promoting multilingualism is then looked at from the perspectives of the learner and the teacher. Implications are finally sought for teaching, learning and assessment in language education.
https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2013.3.4.2
PDF

References

Australian Council of TESOL Associations. (2006). Standards for TESOL practitioners. Retrieved on 17 January 2013 from www.tesol.org.au/ted/std_t.htm

Beacco, J. C., & Byram, M. (2002). Guide for the development of language educational policies in Europe. From linguistic diversity to plurilingual education. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.

Bialystok, E., Craik, F. I. M., Klein, R., & Viswanathan, M. (2004). Bilingualism, aging, and cognitive control: Evidence from the Simon task. Psychology and Aging, 19(2), 290-303.

Bialystok, E., Craik, F. I. M., & Freedman, M. (2007). Bilingualism as a protection against the onset of dementia. Neuropsychologia, 45, 459-464.

Boeckmann, K.-B., Alto, E., Abel, A., Atanasoska, T., & Lamb, T. (2011). Promoting plurilingualism. Majority language in multilingual settings. Graz: ECML.

Council of Europe. (2000). European language portfolio (ELP: Principles and guidelines) [Document DGIV/EDU/LANG (2000)33]. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.

Council of Europe. (2001). Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching and assessment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Council of Europe. (2003). Relating language examinations to the common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment (CEF). Strasbourg: Council of Europe.

Country report. Poland. 2005-2006. (2006). Warsaw: Ministry of Education.

Crystal, D. (2000). Language death. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Cummins, J. (1976). The influence of bilingualism on cognitive growth: A synthesis of research findings and explanatory hypotheses. Working Papers on Bilingualism, 9, 1-43.

Cummins, J. (1979). Linguistic interdependence and the educational development of bilingual children. Review of Educational Research, 49, 222-251.

Cummins, J. (2000). Putting language proficiency in its place. In J. Cenoz & U. Jessner (Eds.), English in Europe. The acquisition of a third language (pp.39-53). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

de Botton, A. (2002). The art of travel. London: Hamish Hamilton.

De Swaan, A. (2004). Endangered languages, sociolinguistics, and linguistic sentimentalism. European Review, 12/4, 567-580.

De Swaan, A. (2007). The language predicament of the EU since the enlargements. Sociolinguistica, 21, 1-21.

Dumas, L. S. (1999). Learning a second language: Exposing your child to a new world of words boosts her brainpower, vocabulary and self-esteem. Child, 72, 74, 76-7.

Dumont, H., Istance D., & Benavides, F. (Eds.). (2010). The nature of learning. Using research to inspire practice. Paris: OECD Publishing.

Ellis, E. M. (2012). Language awareness and its relevance to TESOL. University of Sydney Papers in TESOL, 7, 1-23.

European charter for regional or minority languages. (1992). Strasbourg: Council of Europe.

European Council. (2002a). Education and training in Europe: Diverse systems, shared goals for 2010. Brussels: European Commission.

European Council. (2002b). Stockholm European Council. Presidency conclusions. Press release 100/01/01.

European Council. (2002c). Barcelona European Council. Presidency conclusions. Press release 100/1/02.

European Commission. (2005). A new framework strategy for multilingualism. Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European

Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, Brussels.

European Commission. (2007). Report. High Level Group on multilingualism. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

European Commission. (2008). An inventory of community actions in the field of multilingualism and results of the online public consultation. Commission staff working document. Accompanying document to the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Multilingualism: An asset for Europe and a shared commitment. Brussels.

Europeans and their languages report. (2012). Brussels: European Union.

First European survey on language competences. Final report. (2012). Brussels: European Union.

Gabryś-Barker, D. (2005). Aspects of multilingual storage, processing and retrieval. Katowice: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego.

Garfinkel, A., & Tabor, K. (1991). Elementary school foreign languages and English reading achievement: A new view of the relationship. Foreign Language Annals, 24(5), 375-382.

Goetz, P. (2003). The effects of bilingualism on theory of mind development. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 6(1), 1-15.

Grosjean, F. (2010). Bilingual: Life and reality. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

GUS. (2012). Powierzchnia i ludność w przekroju terytorialnym [Area and population in the territorial profile]. Warszawa: Główny Urząd Statystyczny.

Hong, K., & Leavell, A. G. (2006, March). Strategic reading awareness of bilingual EFL readers. Paper delivered at the 40th Annual TESOL Convention, Tampa, FL, USA.

Huber, J. (Ed.). (2011). Teacher education for change. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.

Hufeisen, B. (2004). A brief introduction to the linguistic foundations. In B.

Hufeisen & G. Neuner (Eds.), The Plurilingualism Project: Tertiary language learning - German after English (pp.153-172). Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing.

Jespersen, O. (1922). Language. London: Allen and Unwin.

Jessner, U. (2006). Linguistic awareness in multilinguals: English as a third language. Edinburg: Edinburgh University Press.

Kelly, M., & Grenfell, M. (2004). European profile for language teacher education – A frame of reference. Southampton: University of Southampton.

Key data on teaching languages at school in Europe. (2012). Brussels: European Union.

Kharkhurin, A. (2008). The effect of linguistic proficiency, age of second language acquisition and length of exposure to a new cultural environment on bilinguals’ divergent thinking. Bilingualism, Language and Cognition, 11, 2, 225-243.

King, T. (2012, September). Paper delivered at the ‘Multilingualism in Europe’ conference held on the occasion of the Cyprus presidency, Limassol, Cyprus.

Komorowska, H. (2005). Linguistic policy effects of the European Union enlargement. In R. Festauer, I. Cullin, Ch. Cali, & K. Chester (Eds.), Mehrsprachigkeit und Kommunikation in der Diplomatie (pp. 35-51).Vienna Diplomatische Akademie: Favorita Papers, 4.

Komorowska, H. (2014). Analyzing linguistic landscapes. A diachronic study of multilingualism in Poland. In A. Otwinowska & G. De Angelis (Eds.), Teaching and learning in multilingual contexts: Sociolinguistic and educational perspectives (pp. 19-31). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

Kormi-Nouri R., Shojaeil, R., Moniri, S., Gholami, A. R., Moradi, A. R., Akbrai Zardhaneh, S., & Nilsson. L.-G. (2008). The effect of childhood bilingualism on episodic and semantic memory task. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 49, 93-109.

Krauss, M. (1992). The world’s languages in crisis. Language, 68(1), 4-10.

Lasagabaster, D. (1998). The threshold hypothesis applied to three languages in contact at school. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 1(2), 119-133.

Lazaruk, W. (2007). Linguistic, academic and cognitive benefits of French Immersion. Canadian Modern Language Review, 63(5), 605-628.

Little, D., & Perclová, R. (2001). European language portfolio. Guide for teachers and teacher trainers. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.

MacNamara, J. T. (1966). Bilingualism and primary education: A study of Irish experience. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

McPake, J., Tinsley, T., Broeder, P., Mijares, L., Latomaa, S., & Martyniuk, W. (2007). Valuing all languages in Europe. Strasbourg: ECML.

Moore, I., & Hagen S. (2006, November). The impact of languages on the European economy. Paper delivered at the meeting of the High Level Group on Multilingualism, Brussels, The European Union.

Mundy, J., & Woody, K. (Eds.). (1961). The Council of Constance. The unification of the Church. New York: Columbia University Press.

Najwyższa Izba Kontroli. (2004). Informacja o wynikach kontroli funkcjonowania szkół mniejszości narodowych i etnicznych [Information on the results of the audit of schools for national and ethnic minorities]. Warszawa: NIK.

Newby, D, Allan R., Fenner, A. B., Komorowska, H., Jones, B., & Soghikyan, K. (2007). European portfolio for student teachers of languages. Graz: Council of Europe.

OECD. (2007a). Evidence in education. Linking research and policy. Paris: OECD.

OECD. (2007b). Educating teachers for diversity. Meeting the challenge. Paris: OECD.

OECD. (2008). Trends shaping education. Paris: OECD. Peal, E., & Lambert, W. E. (1962). The relationship of bilingualism to intelligence. Psychological Monographs, 76(27), 1-23.

Penczek-Zapała, M. (2010). Teachers in multicultural classrooms. In Komorowska, H., & Aleksandrowicz-Pędich, L. (Eds.), Coping with diversity. Language and culture education (pp. 164-175). Warsaw: ACADEMICA. Ringbom, H. (1987). The role of first language in foreign language learning. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

Smith, A. D. (2000). The nation in history. Historiographical debates about ethnicity. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Smith, A. D. (2006). The cultural foundations of nations. Hierarchy, covenant and republic. London: Blackwell.

Toppelberg, C.O., Medrano, L., Peña Morgens, L, & Nieto-Castañon, A. (2002). Bilingual children referred for psychiatric services: Associations of language disorders, language skills, and psychopathology. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 41(6), 712-22.

Vetter, E. (2012, May). Student teachers’ awareness of language: What is (a) language? Which emotional associations are attached to it? Paper delivered at the 24th International Conference on Foreign / Second Language Acquisition, Szczyrk, Poland.

Wolff, D. (2006, May). Bilingualism and foreign language learning: Some reflections on a neglected topic. Paper delivered at the 18th International Conference on Foreign / Second Language Acquisition, Szczyrk, Poland.

Zrzeszenie Kaszubsko-Pomorskie. (2011). Raport: Nauczanie jezyka kaszubskiego w szkołach [Report on the teaching of Kashubian in schools]. ZKP: Gdańsk.