MULTILINGUALISM IN EDUCATION
What is a language?
Language is an organized medium of human communication in any given
social set up and is used by a particular country or community. Although it is
hard to define the word language due to how complex it can be in social
settings, the linguistic intelligentsia generally agreed that it is a system
of symbols designed for communication.
The Attributes of Language as a Medium of Communication
1. Governed by the rules
2. A system that performs functions as giving information
3. Expresses feelings and emotions
4. Establishing rapport, exercising authority
5. Identity marker
Language Terminologies
1. Bilingualism. Ability to speak and understand two languages fluently.
2. Trilingualism. Ability to speak and understand three languages
fluently.
3. Multilingualism. Ability to speak and understand more than two
languages, encompassing both bilingualism and trilingualism. A person
who is multilingual in a sense is sometimes called a polyglot.
What is Multilingualism?
Derived from two Latin words namely “multi” that means many, and “lingua”
that means language, multilingualism is referred to as the ability to express a
speaker’s self in several languages with equal and native-like proficiency.
It is also regarded as the co-existence of several languages within a society.
Such languages can be official or unofficial, native or foreign, and national or
international.
Multilingualism is sometimes used interchangeably with bilingualism. This is
considered as an inclusive terminology encompassing both bilingualism,
trilingualism, and the one that uses more than three languages. As we use
several languages, we become multilingual, or polyglots.
Rare Perfect Multilingualism
Any country or society is generally considered as multilingual if its citizens
are multilingual. However, rare perfect multilingualism is in practice in
this case. This kind of practice occurs because even if we acquire several
languages in one place, there is always a high chance that one language will
dominate over the others which are considered subordinates.
Explanation: (ayaw ibutang sa ppt) Even though a country may have many
languages spoken by its citizens, true equality between these languages are
rare. Oftentimes, when one language becomes more important than the
others, speakers of the subordinate languages may gradually shift to the
dominant one (to connect and find more opportunities) leading to language
loss or language extinction.
Consequences of Multilingualism
1. Emergence of New Languages. When people who speak different
languages interact, they might create a new language that everyone
can understand. This is called “lingua franca”. People may also start
using slang words such as “low-key”, “flex”, or “ghost”, which are
informal words or phrases often used in certain groups.
2. Switching Between Languages. People who speak multiple
languages often switch between them while talking, or what we refer
to as code-switching. For example, they might start a conversation
with one language and then switch to another.
3. One language often becomes more important. Multilingualism
creates an aspect of diglossia, a situation in which two dialects or
languages are used by a single language community, but one language
tends to dominate the other which is generally referred to as a
subordinate.
(Explanation for diglossia: For example, in the Philippines, Filipino is
our official language. However, its community uses both English and
Filipino in daily conversations. In this case, Filipino is used often in
informal settings, while English holds a higher status, used in
education, business, government, and international communication.)
Benefits of Multilingualism
1. Knowledge of more than two languages allows us to communicate with
many people in both personal and professional contexts.
(Explanation: when you know many languages, you can talk to
more people! This helps you make friends from different
places, and your work life by dealing with clients or colleagues
from other countries)
2. Multilingualism practices enhances intellectual flexibility and creativity.
(Explanation: Children who grow up in a supportive environment
speaking more than one language from an early age are more
intellectually flexible and more perceptive than those who
speak only one language.)
3. Multilingualism provides an insight to the understanding of different
cultures and experiences hence a multilingual becomes multicultural in
nature.
(Explanation: Each language comes with its own culture. When
you learn a new language, you also learn about the people who
speak it, their traditions, and their way of thinking. This helps
you understand and appreciate different cultures)
4. Multilingualism provides a competitive edge in today’s job market.
(Explanation: Knowing how to speak several languages can offer
better job opportunities. In today’s world, knowing more than
one language is a big language because many jobs require you
to work with people from different countries.)
5. Multilingualism is also a form of human capital.
(Explanation: Knowing several languages is costly, as it is a skill
that costs a person his time, effort, and tutorials/lessons.
Learning a lot of languages requires effort, but it’s a valuable
investment.)
6. Multilingualism helps in national unity especially if people learn
national languages besides their indigenous languages and lingua
franca.
(Explanation: If people in a country learn the national language,
along with their own local language and common language
used for communication, it can help bring people together and
strengthen the country.)
