Multilingualism: Political, Cognitive and Pedagogical implications

Language

English

Prerequisites

1. Introduction to contemporary linguistic paradigms that transcend traditional monolingual norms.
2. Exploration of multilingualism as a fundamental concept in our society, particularly for students specializing in modern languages. 
3. Work on the complex interactions between languages and the evolving social dynamics of languages and their contexts. 
4. Reflections on the actions to consider and apply for addressing contemporary multilingual challenges. 

Main themes

Students have reached a B2 proficiency level in English (productive and receptive skills) and be accepted in the programme where the course is taught.  

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	Articulate a nuanced understanding of what multilingualism entails and of its implications in various social, educational, and professional contexts.
2	Critically analyze contemporary theories and studies in the domain.
3	Investigate and address current issues and challenges associated with multilingualism in different domains such as language policy, education, and workplace communication.
4	Be able to design, conduct, and present a short-term project demonstrating a problem-solving approach to a real-world multilingual issue.
This learning unit contributes to the development and command of the following skills and learning outcomes of the ELAL programmes: 1.4; 1.6; 2.4; 3.5; 5.6; 5.6; 4.3; 6.2; 6.4; 6.6

Content

• Terminological issues (e.g. multilingualism versus plurilingualism, urban vs non-urban multilingualism). 
• The multilingual turn: moving away from monoglossic frames and proposing multilingual approaches. 
• The multilingual brain.  
• Language contact and variation.  
• Linguistic landscapes and identities 
• Language ideologies and multilingual language policies in Europe (and elsewhere) 
• Transposition of language policies into multilingual practices in (various) ecological contexts such as: families, workplace, education (transformative and inclusive pedagogies for 21st century multilingual classrooms, critical pedagogies, etc.), research (language acquisition, psycholinguistics, cognition, assessment, etc.), crisis response. 

Teaching methods

The course adopts a project-based learning approach and an in-depth investigation of real world topics (through lectures and readings on the topic) and through active learning and participation in collaborative and cooperative tasks. Students will take part in specific projects spanning over several weeks (questioning experts, making observations, making connections, proposing solutions, and hence demonstrating their learning using various communication modes). 

Evaluation methods

Project-based assessment (including a written reflective report). 

Faculty or entity

> ELAL