International Research on Multilingualism: Breaking with the Monolingual Perspective


Book Description

This volume contributes to a better understanding of both psycho- and sociolinguistic levels of multilingualism and their interplay in development and use. The chapters stem from an international group of specialists in multilingualism with chapters from Austria, Canada, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain and the United States. The chapters provide an update on research on third language acquisition and multilingualism, and pay particular attention to new research concepts and the exploration of contact phenomena such as transfer and language learning strategies in diverse language contact scenarios. Concepts covered include dominant language constellations, mother tongue, germination factors and communicative competence in national contexts. Multilingual use as described and applied in the volume aims at demonstrating and identifying current and future challenges for research on third language acquisition and multilingualism. The third languages in focus include widely and less widely used official, minority and migrant languages in instructed and/or natural contexts, including Albanian, Arabic, Basque, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Romanian, Spanish, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish, and Vietnamese, thereby mapping a high variety of language constellations.




Language Change


Book Description

Through integrating different perspectives on language change, this book explores the enormous on-going linguistic upheavals in the wake of the global dominance of English. Combining empirical research with theoretical approaches, it will appeal to researchers and graduate students of English, and also of other languages studying language change.




Dominant Language Constellations Approach in Education and Language Acquisition


Book Description

This volume is an important instalment in the rapidly expanding literature on multilingualism in education and language teaching. Within multilingual studies the volume is highly innovative in its application of the concept, theory and perspectives of the Dominant Language Constellations (DLC). The volume reports original research on language education policy and practice which address contemporary DLC-informed multilingualism within family settings and institutional domains such as teacher education, primary and secondary schooling, and higher education. Deploying the DLC concept as an analytical and conceptual category the chapters explore both personal and institutional life of multilingualism, enriched through visualizations. Specific chapters examine issues connected to career opportunities of adults of refugee background in Norway, multilingual transnational couples, and language teacher preparation in settings as diverse as Austria, Canada, Finland, Iceland, Israel, and the Basque Country and Catalonia in Spain. This volume is of direct relevance to coursework students and researchers pursuing programs in education, linguistics, applied linguistics, sociolinguistics and multilingualism, but will also attract interest in disciplines such as social work and psychology. Additionally the volume will appeal to members of the general public wishing to acquaint themselves with current research and thinking on critical issues in multilingual studies, such as learning experiences within and beyond classrooms, and aspects of public policy and institutional decision-making processes.




Innovative Practices in Early English Language Education


Book Description

This book shines a light on novel and less familiar domains of early English language education for children aged 3 to 12, in mainstream and out-of-school settings. Enveloping the volume is the making of creative connections to wider educational philosophies which extend beyond the confines of a narrow linguistic lens. In reconciling the theory-practice divide in English language education, each chapter presents a synthesis of research issues leading to a practical showcase of ideas. Organised in two main parts, the first focuses on innovations within classroom practice, curriculum development, and child-centred assessment, exploring areas which have either received insufficient attention and/or have been reimagined through fresh perspectives. The second part explores innovations in pre- and in-service teacher education contexts and focuses on lesser-known and/or underexplored topics, including bridging general and language education, multilingualism, in-depth learning, metacognition, and pragmatics. This is a timely publication for teacher educators and practitioners alike.




English as a Foreign Language


Book Description

This book introduces the reader to the ongoing research on teaching English as a foreign language and highlights recent trends in theories of acquisition, teaching and development of communication and intercultural skills. As English as a third language is increasingly recognised as a common world reality, research around this particular subject certainly provides useful answers to questions regarding the most desirable pedagogical method when teaching it at school, the strategies that students use when learning foreign languages, the best age for introducing additional languages in the school curriculum, and the attitude of pupils when learning a foreign language, and English in particular, given its global significance. The contributions gathered here will give the reader a general idea of where research on English as a foreign language is heading now in the areas of teaching, pedagogy, intercultural and multilingual studies and teaching students with learning difficulties. The authors situate their research in current debates in terms of theory and empirical data. They address issues of English as a foreign language in a wide variety of settings, countries and orientations, coming from Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, the UK and the USA.




The Cambridge Handbook of Childhood Multilingualism


Book Description

Childhood multilingualism has become a norm rather than an exception. This is the first handbook to survey state-of-the-art research on the uniqueness of early multilingual development in children growing up with more than two languages in contact. It provides in-depth accounts of the complexity and dynamics of early multilingualism by internationally renowned scholars who have researched typologically different languages in different continents. Chapters are divided into six thematic areas, following the trajectory, environment and conditions underlying the incipient and early stages of multilingual children's language development. The many facets of childhood multilingualism are approached from a range of perspectives, showcasing not only the challenges of multilingual education and child-rearing but also the richness in linguistic and cognitive development of these children from infancy to early schooling. It is essential reading for anyone interested in deepening their understanding of the multiple aspects of multilingualism, seen through the unique prism of children.




Dominant Language Constellations


Book Description

This volume is dedicated to the concept and several applications of Dominant Language Constellations (DLC), by which it advances understanding of current multilingualism through addition of a novel perspective from which to view contemporary language use and acquisition. The term Dominant Language Constellation denotes the set of a person’s or group's most expedient languages, functioning as an entire unit and enabling an individual or group to meet their needs in a multilingual environment. The volume presents pioneering contributions that employ DLC as the lens for analysing a wide array of issues. These include multilingual syntactic development, cross-linguistic interaction and multilingual production in formal and informal educational contexts, as well as linguistic profiles of multilingual groups used in elementary school and higher education. Other DLC issues include discussions of how identity, emotions and attitudes operate in various minority and majority contexts. Because the DLC concept does not assume any inherent hierarchy of languages it can serve as a framework public policy in multilingual countries/communities faced with challenging policy determinations regarding choice of languages for use in education settings and more widely in social institutions and the economy. Some chapters develop and extend the DLC concept, others adapt and apply it to a variety of contexts, both global and local. Many chapters feature educational and social settings across large parts of the world– Africa, Australia, Europe, North America (Canada and the USA) and Southeast Asia. The volume can serve as supplementary reading for courses on multilingualism, sociolinguistics, language policy and planning, educational linguistics, Second and Third Language Acquisition.




The Changing Face of the “Native Speaker”


Book Description

The notion of the native speaker and its undertones of ultimate language competence, language ownership and social status has been problematized by various researchers, arguing that the ensuing monolingual norms and assumptions are flawed or inequitable in a global super-diverse world. However, such norms are still ubiquitous in educational, institutional and social settings, in political structures and in research paradigms. This collection offers voices from various contexts and corners of the world and further challenges the native speaker construct adopting poststructuralist and postcolonial perspectives. It includes conceptual, methodological, educational and practice-oriented contributions. Topics span language minorities, intercomprehension, plurilingualism and pluriculturalism, translanguaging, teacher education, new speakers, language background profiling, heritage languages, and learner identity, among others. Collectively, the authors paint the portrait of the "changing face of the native speaker" while also strengthening a new global agenda in multilingualism and social justice. These diverse and interconnected contributions are meant to inspire researchers, university students, educators, policy makers and beyond.




Language Awareness and Identity


Book Description

This volume offers a unique insight into multilingualism and sociolinguistic diversity employing the dominant language constellation (DLC) approach. How can novel research inform teaching practices? How do current theories account for multilingual reality in settings as diverse as countries of Western and Eastern Europe and Tunisia and Maghreb? The volume deals with issues of plurilingual identity of teachers and multilingual learners and examines the issues of foreign language teaching both in contexts perceived as monolingual and multilingual Drawing on the intersection of analytic categories such as language repertoire, translanguaging, visuality and narratives, it particularly emphasizes the connections between DLCs, language awareness and identity. The contributors demonstrate how formal language teaching can capitalize on the DLC paradigm and how teacher education programs can use it both as a framework to discuss and as a tool to enhance teacher education and professional development. This volume on DLC as an approach to exploring facets of language awareness and identity presents a very welcome contribution to the study of multilingualism as a complex and dynamic phenomenon. The studies stemming from a range of mainly educational settings in different countries will definitely enhance our thinking perspectives in an area of research with increasing interest. Prof. Dr. Ulrike Jessner, University of Innsbruck (Austria) and University of Pannonia (Hungary).




The Handbook of Plurilingual and Intercultural Language Learning


Book Description

Our evolving understanding of the role of English as a lingua franca and our growing sensitivity to the unique needs of students and teachers who communicate across languages and cultures has led to significant changes in language teaching, pedagogy, and curriculum design. The Handbook of Plurilingual and Intercultural Language Learning is a field-defining book, which examines the various ways learners learn and acquire language in a truly global context. Featuring contributions from a diverse range of scholars reflecting different cultural, linguistic, regional, and ideological perspectives, this innovative volume presents the most recent developments in the field while revealing the nuances and complexities of teaching and learning foreign languages. This Handbook explains the conceptual basis of intercultural and plurilingual learning, describes core pedagogical concepts, discusses different learning and teaching approaches, and provides the historical background for various methods and theories. The authors discuss how policy and pedagogy can adapt to the shifting demographics of local student populations, address new trends and evolving themes, and explore contemporary topics such as translanguaging, intercomprehension, technology-enhanced learning, language policy, and more. The Handbook of Plurilingual and Intercultural Language Learning is essential reading for students, educators, and researchers in applied linguistics, language teaching and learning, plurilingualism/multilingualism, TESOL, cognitive linguistics, language policy, language acquisition, and intercultural communication.