Bilingualism and Multilingualism

elective courses

Blended learning
Classroom

BA level studies.

Education at language level B2+

The course is meant as an introduction to the rapidly developing field of bilingualism and multilingualism studies. It combines four perspectives: sociolinguistic, linguistic, psycholinguistic and educational, so the course is divided into four main parts.

Part 1 starts with defining the phenomena of societal bilingualism/multilingualism, a bilingual/multilingual speaker, and attitudes towards bilingualism/ multilingualism.

Part 2 investigates the linguistic manifestations of bilingual/multilingual language acquisition and the phenomena of crosslinguistic influences.

Part 3 dwells on the psycholinguistic issue of cross-language activation and competition in the bilingual mind.

Part 4 presents the educational perspective on the issues of plurilingual language teaching and intercultural competence.

BA level studies.

Education at language level B2+

The course combines four perspectives on multilingualism: sociolinguistic, linguistic, psycholinguistic and educational. In particular, the course will touch upon the following topics:

1. Who is a bilingual? Is a language learner a bilingual? Is using a sign-language and speaking a language also a type of bilingualism? How proficient do you need to be in two languages to be considered bilingual?

2. Multilingualism and plurilingualism: Are they the same or different from bilingualism? Discussing the facts that: a ”bilingual is not the sum of two complete or incomplete monolinguals; rather, he or she has a unique and specific linguistic configuration” (Grosjean, 2008:14); and: a “multilingual is not a bilingual learning an additional language” (De Angelis & Selinker, 2001:45)

3. Past and present attitudes towards bilingualism, multilingualism and plurilingualism. The key sociolinguistic issues connected with bilingualism, negative and positive attitudes in societies, language prestige, minority languages, the EU’s recommendations on language education in the EU, attitudes to languages in Poland.

4. The spread of English and multilingual language constellations. The role of English as a lingua franca and its consequences for global and European language learning and use.

5. The linguistic consequences of bilingualism and language contact: transfer and crosslinguistic influences (CLI). The symptoms of bilingual/ multilingual language use, borrowing, code-switching between languages.

6. Crosslinguistic similarity and difference relations and their consequences for language acquisition. The role of language typology and psychotypology in language transfer. Conceptual transfer.

7. Lexical crosslinguistic similarity: cognates, internationalisms and false friends. How do bilinguals and multilinguals differ in using them in language acquisition?

8. The mental consequences of bilingualism: the bilingual mental lexicon, models of multilingualism. Theoretical and empirical findings.

9. The cognitive and linguistic consequences of bilingualism and multiple language learning: the psycholinguistic disadvantages of being a bilingual. The advantages of enhanced executive functioning.

10. Childhood bilingualism. What cognitive and linguistic consequences does childhood bilingualism have? How can we examine bilingual children?

11. The role of metalinguistic awareness in multilingual language acquisition. How do multilinguals and bilinguals differ from monolinguals in approaching language tasks? What are language affordances?

12. The teacher’s plurilingual awareness. How can teachers become more aware of the multilingual advantages? What knowledge and skills do they need to develop this kind of awareness? Intercultural competence. How can we take advantage of crosslinguistic similarity in the language classroom?

13. The complexity of multilingual education. Types of bilingual classes. Why does bilingual education work in some educational systems and it does not in others?

W wersjach elektronicznych dostarczonych przez prowadzącego:

Aronin, L. (2018). Lecture 1. What is multilingualism? In: Singleton, D., & Aronin, L. (Eds.). Twelve Lectures on Multilingualism. Multilingual Matters.

Bialystok, E., Craik, F. I. M., Green, D. W., and Gollan, T. H. (2009) Bilingual Minds. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 10(3), 89-129.

Cenoz, J. & Gorter, D. (2018). Lecture 4. Educational Policy and Multilingualism. In: D. Singleton and L. Aronin (eds.) Twelve Lectures on Multilingualism. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Cook, V. (2014) How do different languages connect in our minds? In: V. Cook, and D. Singleton (eds.). Key topics in second language acquisition. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Cook, V. (2016) Premises of multi-competence. In: V. Cook and L. Wei (eds.) The Cambridge Handbook of Linguistic Multi-competence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

De Angelis, G, and Selinker, L. (2001). Interlanguage Transfer and Competing Linguistic Systems in the Multilingual Mind. In: Cross-linguistic influence in Third Language Acquisition: psycholinguistic perspectives, J. Cenoz., B. Hufeisen & U. Jessner (eds), Multilingual Matters.

De Angelis, G. (2007) Third or Additional Language Acquisition. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

De Angelis, G. (2018). Lecture 6. Cross-linguistic Influence and Multiple Language Acquisition and Use. In: D. Singleton and L. Aronin (eds.) Twelve Lectures on Multilingualism. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Dewaele, J-M. (2015). Bilingualism and Multilingualism. In: K. Tracy, C. Ilie and T. Sandel (eds.). The International Encyclopedia of Language and Social Interaction. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Festman, J. (2019). Lecture 9. The Psycholinguistics of Multilingualism. In: D. Singleton and L. Aronin (eds.) Twelve Lectures on Multilingualism. (pp. 233-269). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Jarvis, S., & Pavlenko, A. (2008). Crosslinguistic influence in language and cognition. Routledge.

Jessner, U. (2008) Teaching third languages: Findings, trends and challenges. Language Teaching 41: 15-56.

Komorowska, H. (2006). Intercultural competence in ELT syllabus and materials design. Scripta Neophilologica Posnaniensia, 8, 59-83.

Komorowska, H. (2014) Analyzing Linguistic Landscapes. A diachronic Study of Multilingualism in Poland. In: A. Otwinowska and G. De Angelis (eds.) Teaching and Learning in Multilingual Contexts: Sociolinguistic and Educational Perspectives. (pp.19-31) Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Otwinowska, A. (2015). Cognate vocabulary in Language Acquisition and Use. Attitudes, Awareness, Activation. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Otwinowska, A. (2017). English teachers’ language awareness: away with the monolingual bias?, Language Awareness, 26(4), 304-324

Pavlenko, A. (2003a). "I never knew I was a bilingual": reimagining teacher identities in TESOL. Journal of Language, Identity, and Education, 2, 4, 251-268.

Pearson, Z. B. (2009). Children with two languages In: E. L. Bavin (ed.) The Cambridge Handbook of Child Language. Cambridge: CUP. pp. 379-398.

Ringbom, H. (2007). Cross-linguistic Similarity in Foreign Language Learning. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

Traxler, M. J. (2011) Introduction to psycholinguistics: Understanding language science. John Wiley and Sons.

IDuring class discussions, students will acquire the skills to express their thoughts clearly, coherently, logically and precisely, in grammatically, phonetically and vocabulary correct language.

At the end of the course, the student will have acquired the following knowledge, skills and social competences

Knowledge

Students know and understand:

- (K_W02) to an advanced degree the key terminology related to bilingualism multilingualism, including the concepts of monolingualism, bilingualism and multilingualism, multilingual competence and multiculturalism, language transfer, cognitive and linguistic effects of bilingualism, the concept of intercultural competence, language awareness and multilingual awareness of the language teacher;

- (K_W02) to an advanced degree the main methods and theories of research on multilingualism, including the most important critical approaches to the phenomena of bilingualism and multilingualism u in sociolinguistic, linguistic, psycholinguistic and educational terms;

- (K_W04) to an advanced degree the links between language and historical-cultural processes, including the phenomenon of the widespread use of English as a Lingua Franca and international language, and approaches to bilingualism and multilingualism in the Polish and European contexts;

- (K_W03) the methodology and trends in the development of linguistic, psycholinguistic and educational research on multilingualism.

Skills

Students are able to:

- (K_U01) use the terminology and conceptual apparatus of linguistics, including defining bilingualism and multilingualism from different perspectives, citing the most important research and theories on cross-linguistic influence (transfer phenomena), the bilingual mental lexicon, the cognitive and linguistic effects of multilingualism;

- (K_U03) analyse and synthesise content on the phenomena of bilingualism and multilingualism in a social, historical and economic context;

- (K_U05) retrieve information from a variety of sources, critically evaluate the source, assess the usefulness of the information and analyse and synthesise the information, including distinguishing between true and false views on bilingualism and multilingualism;

- (K_U08) plan and organise work individually and as part of a team in order to achieve set goals effectively;

- (K_U09) present acquired knowledge and communicate in a coherent, precise and linguistically correct way, using English at a minimum level C1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Social competences

Students are ready to:

- (K_K01) fulfil societal obligations and undertake activities for the social environment resulting from the knowledge and skills about multilingual learners acquired during the course of education;

- (K_K03) take responsibility for their own work during the course and respect the work of others, taking care to observe ethical principles and norms in project activities and other activities undertaken as part of their professional work, voluntary work, etc.;

- (K_K04) take individual initiative and be independent in social matters thanks to their ability to critically assess the content of various communications.

Language learning at B2+ level

No more than two absences for the semester are acceptable.

The final grade will depend on three components divided into Content and Language factors:

1. Active participation in class: 30%

- Content: quality of comments after reading home assignments, group discussion.

- Language: student’s oral fluency and accuracy, including the use of appropriate keyword vocabulary.

- Reading the texts selected for each class is obligatory and fundamental to the following in-class participation (e.g. discussion).

2. Mid-term test: 30%

- Content: open-ended and closed-ended questions (True/False statements; multiple choice questions; cloze test). The test will be based on readings and class discussions.

- Language: student’s written fluency and accuracy, including the use of appropriate keyword vocabulary.

Test grades

5 - 93-100%

4+ - 85-92%

4 - 77-84%

3+ - 69-76%

3 - 60-68%

2 - less than 60%

3. Oral exam: 40%

- Content: quality of reflection on the texts selected for classes, coherence and logic of the text, an understanding of the issues discussed.

- Language: student’s fluency and accuracy, including the use of appropriate keyword vocabulary.

If necessary, a retake oral exam is organized.