Summary of the Multilingualism section. Made using the textbook, lecture notes and voice overs, tutorials and some quizzes. Information explained in an easy way to study and understand. Includes definitions, examples and explanations.
- 7 117 recognised languages in the world Multilingualism is expected.
- Now recognised that multilingualism (NOT monolingualism) is the norm for most people.
Factors Contributing to Multilingualism
- There are more languages than there are countries & the number of speakers of different
languages is unevenly distributed.
This means that speakers of minority languages need to adapt & speak other languages
in their daily life.
- In some cases, multilinguals are immigrants speaking their home language & the
language of the host country.
- In other cases, languages are learnt as they spread internationally English.
- It is important to note, however, that multilingualism is not a “new” phenomenon.
- What this ultimately illustrates is that multilingualism is “a circumstance arising, at the
simplest level, from the need to communicate across speech communities.”
- Ultimately, multilingualism is a rather normal & unremarkable necessity for the majority of
the world today.
- A monolingual perspective is consequence of possession of a powerful “language of
wider communication”. This is often accompanied by a narrow cultural awareness & is
reinforced by state policies which often elevate only 1 language to official status
Monolinguals often speak the language with the most “power” so they don’t come across
the real need to learn a new language.
BUT multilinguals are in the majority!
Historical & Contemporary Multilingualism
- Different distinctions on how Multilingualism has changed – reported on by Aronin &
Singleton (2008):
Geographical: Today it is not that multilingualism is limited to geographically close
languages (e.g. borders, trade routes). It is now a global phenomenon where people
need to adapt to an increasingly globalised culture.
Social: It is no longer associated with a specific social strata (or specific professions),
rather it is spread across these different social areas.
Medium: Written & slow Multimodal & instantaneous
o Multilingualism used to just be to written mediums & it spread slowly – but now with the
internet multilingual & multimodal speech/text is instant & can spread quickly.
,The Value of Multilingualism
- Globalisation has increased the value of multilingualism speaking different languages
has an added value.
- While the ability to speak English can be a necessity, the ability to speak other languages
certainly gives one the competitive edge.
- While this might only be obvious to certain societies in the context of globalisation in
South Africa it is a daily reality.
Defining Multilingualism
- There are many definitions finding one with all dimensions is very difficult.
- “anyone who can communicate in more than one language, be it active (through speaking
and writing) or passive (through listening and reading)”. (Li, 2008: 4)
- “the ability of societies, institutions, groups & individuals to engage, on a regular basis,
with more than one language in their day-to-day lives”. (European Commission, 2007)
- ^^ These definitions lead into a discussion about the different dimensions involved in
multilingualism.
Dimensions of Multilingualism
The individual vs social dimension:
- Multilingualism is both an individual & social phenomenon
It can refer to individual ability or the use of languages in a society
And these two factors are intertwined: It is more likely that individuals in multilingual
societies will themselves be multilingual.
The proficiency vs use dimension:
- In terms of individual multilingualism (as opposed to societal multilingualism)
Levels of proficiency:
o Most definitions cluster broadly into 2 groups: Maximal & minimal proficiency.
Maximal require that a speaker has native proficiency in all languages they speak
Minimal consider even a small amount of another language bilingualism
o Both maximalist & minimalist definitions can be problematic.
- There is additionally the distinction between “balanced” & “unbalanced” multilingualism.
Balanced equal proficiency in the languages acquired by speaker
Unbalanced a person has different proficiencies in their different languages.
- Balanced & unbalanced has fallen out of favour now how we use our languages is
more where the interest lies (the use dimension)
- A definition that considers both aspects: receptive vs productive multilingualism.
, Receptive speakers use respective languages within a convocation. Quite common
where people understand many languages people communicate in their mother
tongue & others understand
The bilingualism vs multilingualism dimension:
- The difference between the terms is not always clear
- Bilingualism as the generic term:
The traditional position reflecting research involving 2 languages rather than additional
languages. Typically refers to 2 languages but can include more.
- Multilingualism as the generic term:
This can be regarded as the mainstream position nowadays. Multilingualism is often
used to refer to 2 or more languages. Bilingualism or trilingualism are instances of
multilingualism.
- Bilingualism & multilingualism as different term:
Some researchers use the term bilingual for users of 2 languages & multilingual for
users of 3/more. Also common among scholars working on L3 acquisition & trilingualism.
- We will use multilingualism as the generic term including bilingualism, & when we want to
make the distinction we will use terms bilingualism & trilingualism.
Research Themes in Multilingualism
- Cognitive outcomes of multilingualism
- The relationship between language and thought in multilinguals.
- Multilingual language processing
- The multilingual brain
- Cross-linguistic interaction
- Multilingual individuals
- Multilingual identities
- Multilingual practices
- Multilingualism as a social construct
- Multilingualism, multimodality and new technologies
Multilingualism: The Individual & Community
Community Level
- When it comes to linguistic heterogeneity at a regional or national level, typically 1
language is elevated to official status.
- Where more than 1 language is recognised, it is typically the case that 1 or more
language(s) out of the languages is the predominant variety.
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