Language Programs and Policies in Multilingual Societies PDF

9/11/24 SED Eng 311A LANGUAGE PROGRAMS AND POLICIES IN MULTILINGUAL SOCIETIES PRELIM: MULTILINGUALISM AND LANGUAGE POLICY 1 CON...

9/11/24 SED Eng 311A LANGUAGE PROGRAMS AND POLICIES IN MULTILINGUAL SOCIETIES PRELIM: MULTILINGUALISM AND LANGUAGE POLICY 1 CONTENTS LESSON 1: Understanding Multilingualism LESSON 2.1: Linguistic Rights and the Philippine Language Situation LESSON 2.2: Language Choice as the Core of Language Policy LESSON 3: Language Policy: What Is It and What It Can Do 2 1  9/11/24 Multilingualism and Language Policy Globalization has immensely bolstered interconnectedness between and among nations, people, and cultures. As a result, language communities come in contact more often, which makes multilingualism as the norm of the present world. 3 01 LESSON UNDERSTANDING MULTILINGUALISM 4 2  9/11/24 LEARNING GOALS At the end of the lesson, you should be able to: Define multilingualism and know the factors that have invigorated the phenomenon; Understand and recognize the value of linguistic diversity in a multilingual society; and Write a reaction essay on the issue of a national language vis-à-vis its place in a multilingual environment. 5 MULTILINGUALISM 6 3  9/11/24 WHAT IS MULTILINGUALISM? Multilingualism is the use of two or more languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community od speakers. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world’s population. 7 ONE SHARED LANGUAGE In the Biblical literature, it is said that the world originally had “one shared language” until the “Tower of Babel.” 8 4  9/11/24 Imagine that you live in a world where there is only one language. What do you think will happen? How will our world be different from what it is now? Will you consider it as a “linguistic paradise”? 9 LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY Whether the story of the Tower of Babel is true or not, the multiplicity of languages in the world is definitely real…also known as “LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY” 10 5  9/11/24 UNESCO, Education in a Multilingual World, 2003 The multitude of languages that exist at present is approximately at 6,000-7,000 languages worldwide. With the exception of Iceland-the only country that is legitimately identified as linguistically homogenous or monolingual. 11 MULTILINGUALISM AS A PHENOMENON Why is multilingualism a common phenomenon? 12 6  9/11/24 § Because there are more languages in the world than countries. § Because languages are “unevenly distributed”. § Because we have immigrants who speak their first language and who need to acquire and speak the language of the host. § Because we learn additional languages, like English, for better social and economic opportunities. 13 VISIBILITY OF MULTILINGUALISM Three factors have contributed to the “Visibility of Multilingualism” (Cenoz, 2013): 1. GLOBALIZATION 2. TRANSNATIONAL MOBILITY OF THE POPULATION 3. SPREAD OF NEW TECHNOLOGY 14 7  9/11/24 GLOBALIZATION the increasing interconnectedness of the world’s economies, cultures, and populations, facilitated by cross-border trade, investment, and information technology Multinational Corporations (MNCs): As businesses expand globally, they need to operate in multiple languages to engage with diverse markets. (Rogerson-Revell, 2007). 15 Transnational Mobility of the Population the movement of people across borders for work, education, or other purposes, contributing to the increased visibility of multilingualism as individuals and communities bring their languages into new environments. International Students: For example, Chinese students in the United States or Indian students in Australia bring Mandarin, Hindi, and other languages into academic and social contexts, making multilingualism visible (Piller, 2016) 16 8  9/11/24 GLOBALIZATION has dramatically increased the visibility of multilingualism by enabling and enhancing communication in multiple languages across various platforms. Technologies like Google Translate or Microsoft Translator make it possible to translate texts instantly across languages. This accessibility has increased the visibility of different languages online and offline, as users can now easily navigate content in various languages (Jiménez-Crespo, 2017). 17 MULTILINGUALISM Individual Reception Multilingualism vs. Bilingualism vs. Societal vs. Multilingualism Productive Multilingualism Multilingualism 18 9  9/11/24 Individual vs. Societal Multilingualism Individual multilingualism refers to the ability of an individual person to use more than two languages fluently or the ability of a single person to communicate in multiple languages Societal multilingualism signifies the linguistic diversity that can be found in a country, a region, or a particular community or it refers to the presence and use of multiple languages within a specific community or society. 19 Examples: Individual Multilingualism: A person who grows up in a bilingual home and learns a third language at school. For example, an individual in Switzerland might speak German at home, learn French at school, and acquire English for international communication (Franceschini, 2009). Societal Multilingualism: Luxembourg is a country with three official languages: Luxembourgish, French, and German. Different languages are used in different contexts, such as German in the press, French in the administration, and Luxembourgish in everyday conversation (Horner & Weber, 2018). 20 10  9/11/24 Comparison in Education Systems: In India, a student acquires their regional language (such as Marathi or Tamil), learns Hindi as a second language, and is taught English as a third language. This reflects both individual and societal multilingualism, as the education policy accommodates multiple languages (Mohanty, 2006). 21 Receptive vs. Productive Multilingualism Receptive (passive) understanding a language (spoken or written). Or the ability to understand multiple languages, WITHOUT NECESSARILY BEING ABLE TO SPEAK THEM FLUENTLY Productive (active) being able to produce a language (speaking or writing). Or it involves both understanding and actively speaking or writing in multiple languages 22 11  9/11/24 Reception Multilingualism in Europe: Many Europeans, especially in countries like the Netherlands or Scandinavia, understand multiple languages like Dutch, English, and German, but may only speak or write proficiently in one or two (Blees et al., 2014). Workplace Communication: In a multinational company, employees might read documents or emails in English, understand instructions in their local language, and attend meetings in another language like French or German, demonstrating a mix of reception and productive multilingualism (Pitzl, 2018). 23 Bilingualism vs. Multilingualism Bilingualism is the ability of an individual or the members of a community to use two languages effectively. Multilingualism is the ability to use multiple languages. 24 12  9/11/24 Bilingual Education Programs: BEP of the Philippines (1974) Multilingual Communities: In South Africa, it is common for people to speak three or more languages. South Africa has 11 official languages, and many citizens are fluent in multiple languages due to the diverse linguistic landscape (Mesthrie, 2006). Code-Switching Practices: In multilingual contexts, like Singapore, individuals frequently switch between languages such as English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil in various situations, reflecting their multilingual abilities. This practice is often observed in daily communication, education, and media (Deterding, 2007). 25 ? QUESTIONS? 26 13  9/11/24 HOW MULTILINGUAL IS THE PHILIPPINES? 27 28 14  9/11/24 Activity 1 Give at least five established languages in the Philippines. 29 End of Lesson 1 30 15  9/11/24 02.1 LESSON LINGUISTIC RIGHTS AND THE PHILIPPINE LANGUAGE SITUATION 31 LEARNING GOALS At the end of the lesson, you should be able to: Explain the concept of linguistic rights and its significance to society and individuals; Familiarize yourself with the language situation in the Philippines; and Rationalize the preferred languages in the different domains of the country. 32 16  9/11/24 LANGUAGES IN THE PHILIPPINES In the Philippines, nearly 200 languages and dialects are spoken by an estimate of 100 million Filipinos. 33 PREDOMINANTLY USED LANGUAGES IN THE PHILIPPINES Tagalog Waray Bisaya Maguindanao Cebuano Kapampangan Ilocano Pangasinan Hiligaynon Ilonggo Bicol 34 17  9/11/24 Linguistic Rights Linguistic rights protect the individual and collective right to choose one's language or languages for communication both within the private and the public spheres. 35 Linguistic Rights Phillipson and Skutnabb-Kangas (2017) listed several international covenants that cover one’s linguistic rights. 36 18  9/11/24 Linguistic Rights The Charter of the United Nations (1945) commits its member nations in its general articles to promoting “universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race , sex, language, or religion” 37 Linguistic Rights Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.” 38 19  9/11/24 Linguistic Rights International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1996) “In those states in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such minorities shall not be denied the rights, in community with other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practice their own religion, or to use their own language.” 39 Linguistic Rights The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) stresses the maintenance of identity, including “nationality” and “name.” 40 20  9/11/24 Linguistic Rights The UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious, and Linguistic Minorities: “that the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities contribute to the political and social stability of States in which they live.” (Preamble) 41 End of Lesson 2 42 21  9/11/24 02.2 LESSON LANGUAGE CHOICE AS THE CORE OF LANGUAGE POLICY 43 LEARNING GOALS At the end of the lesson, you should be able to: Relate language choice with sociolinguistic contexts (e.g., location, participants, and topic); Know the eight basic motivations in language planning and how these motivations influence language choice; Classify countries according to their sociolinguistic mix; and Demonstrate through a Language Community Profile that language choice is immensely influenced by the beliefs and attitude of the people toward the language. 44 22  9/11/24 What is Language Choice? 45 What is Language Choice? Language choice is when the speaker chooses what language to use in particular situation in bilingual or multilingual communities. " Who speaks what language to whom and when" Fishman (1965 cited in Al surmi.2000). 46 23  9/11/24 What makes a Language Policy a Choice? 47 What makes a Language Policy a Choice? Language policy is about choice. It may be the choice of a specific sound, or expression, or of a specific variety of language. It may be the choice regularly made by an individual, or a socially defined group of individuals, or a body with authority over a defined group of individuals 48 24