Multilingual Policy Research Articles

АНГЛІЙСЬКА МОВА В ПУБЛІЧНОМУ УПРАВЛІННІ: СВІТОВА ПРАКТИКА ТА КРОКИ ДО ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКОЇ ІНТЕГРАЦІЇ

The demand for English proficiency is increasing substantially all over the world as the language dominates every walk of life. It has remained one of the working languages of the EU and the Council of Europe, which gives it even greater significance. The purpose of the article is to analyze the experience of incorporating English into the sphere of public administration of foreign countries and review the initiatives directed to supporting the promotion of English as a communication tool of public officials. The article discusses the requirements for English proficiency in the countries’ civil service systems as well as the attempts made to improve English fluency of public officials. It has been discovered that when appointing civil servants, most national governments in Europe require proficiency only in the official (state or national) language, which reflects the EU language policy of multilingualism and multiculturalism. It is highlighted that Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia appear to be the only countries within the EU that oblige their civil servants at the official level to present a certificate or otherwise prove language fluency. The work in the EU bodies presupposes knowledge of one of the working languages of the EU. Asian countries (China, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc.) tend to set the knowledge of English for public officials as a prerequisite for appointment more often. Research has demonstrated that the Ukrainian government has made attempts to improve the level of the English language among civil servants since its European integration aspirations, by cooperating with national and international organizations, arranging workshops, professional development courses in English, providing opportunities for joining self-study courses and platforms. Nonetheless, more measures must be taken to motivate, stimulate and encourage the development of civil servants’ English skills.

Refugee-background students in the context of multilingual policies and practices

This special issue examines and interrogates multilingual policies and practices surrounding the education of refugee-background students (RBSs) worldwide.

Multilingualism and English: how does L1 affect language attitudes at a trilingual university?

ABSTRACT This study investigates attitudes towards multilingualism and the role of English at the trilingual Free University of Bozen-Bolzano in South Tyrol, Italy. South Tyrol is unusual in that the local minority language, German, holds significant international prestige. This study thus contributes to the literature by filling a gap in studies examining multilingual contexts where the minority language is an important international language beyond the local setting. The research investigates results of a questionnaire yielding 1538 responses administered to students, academic staff and administrative staff, considering in particular how respondents’ L1 influences their responses. The analysis reveals widespread support for English and multilingualism at unibz, consistent with the institution’s longstanding multilingual policy. However, significant differences in support for English are observed across language groups, particularly among speakers of local minority languages, who exhibit comparatively lower levels of support, highlighting a nuanced relationship between language identity and perceptions of language policy. The exception was for responses to questionnaire items addressing multilingualism holistically, which did not vary in a statistically significant way according to the first language. This study contributes to the understanding of language attitudes in multilingual contexts, considering both attitudes to an individual language and to multilingual policies as a whole.

Critical Analysis of the Application about Multilingualism in Education Contexts with the Case of Singapore

Discussions on multilingual education arising from multilingualism have been a very popular topic in recent years. In multilingual education, languages other than the dominant language are usually recognized as the language of instruction. This model of education arises from different sociolinguistic contexts and needs to take into account the use of the language it involves and the relative status of that language. This paper critically analyzes the policy of multilingualism in education promoted in the Singapore region as a case study, and goes on to point out that multilingualism in education as an important resource cannot be guided by state policy while providing better developmental resources and economic value to individuals. Multilingualism in education should place indigenous, national, and official languages on an equal footing and promote the development and prosperity of multiple languages.

Disenfranchising the marginalized: the intersectionality of politics of distraction and English-medium education (EME) in Pakistani educational policy

ABSTRACT The historical Hindi-Urdu language strife intensified after the Indian ‘Mutiny’ in 1857 played a pivotal role in shaping the two-nation theory, culminating in the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947. Under English colonial rule, English language education became synonymous with power and job opportunities, creating divisions within the Muslim community over language preference. Analyzing Pakistan's language education policy through Farley, Leonardi and Donnor's (2021) five components of education policy distraction framework provides a structured approach to evaluate its impact on social mobility and English language education access. The analysis highlights the distractors of English-medium education, which include hierarchical multilingual policy, prioritizing English as the official language, using limited budgeting excuses for not professionally developing public school teachers, reliance on traditional English language teaching methods, and treating English as merely a subject. The findings emphasize the need to reform Pakistan's language education policy to address socioeconomic disparities, promote equitable access to English language education and mitigate the distractors. Recommended reforms include reviewing the advantage of English Medium Education (EME) over public education, increasing funding, enhancing the professional development of English language teachers, drafting and implementing language policies, encouraging public-private teacher exchange programs, and introducing teacher certification and capacity-building initiatives.

A multilingualism-as-resource approach in a graduate-level English-medium instruction (EMI) program at a Korean university

ABSTRACT The trend of internationalisation of education has resulted in the wider implementation of English Medium Instruction (EMI) programmes in education, especially at the tertiary level. While some of these programmes adopted strict English-dominant policies, others embraced flexible bilingual or multilingual policies to ensure students’ learning and wellbeing. This study explored international graduate students’ learning and languaging experiences in an EMI graduate classroom with flexible multilingual policies in a Korean university. Data included field notes, students’ work and language samples, and focus group interviews with students. Using thematic analysis of qualitative data, the authors reported that students’ experiences with multilingualism as a resource approach were mostly productive since it created third spaces for the participants to deploy their multilingual resources to construct, promote and demonstrate learning in their class reports. Participants also reported increased compassion for each other through collaborative learning and enhanced understanding of both home and new languages during their studies in the graduate programme that was mediated through multiple languages. This study offered implications for EMI practitioners, higher education institutions, and policymakers regarding language planning, language policy, and language support in EMI contexts.

Embracing diversity under isolation and cease-fire: a poststructuralist look at administrators’ policy on multilingualism

Although multilingualism in higher education context continues to garner increasing scholarly interest, research remains scarce on school administrators’ policies on multilingualism. To the best of our knowledge, this study constitutes one of the very few attempts to tackle this issue in higher education context and the first of its kind to pursue such endeavour in North Cyprus setting. This study seeks to investigate, through a post-structuralist perspective, the perceptions and policies of multilingualism by the director and assistant directors of an English preparatory school in a North Cyprus university which has flourished as a haven for international education. The study combines a multiplicity of data through semi-structured interviews and informal chats to provide a richer insight into the multifaceted case being investigated. The findings demonstrate that administrators regard multilingualism as a seal of internationalism and educational quality. They remain hesitant and even mostly sceptical, however, about whether translingual practice could offer any meaningful contribution to language learning processes. Although poststructuralist understanding considers truth and identity to be decentred and forever changing, and despite the scope of our study being limited to one particular institution only, our findings promise great potential for inspiring reflection and research in other universities in North Cyprus and elsewhere, which similarly aspire to international competition in higher education.

Влияние на езиковото обучение и многоезичните практики върху положителната идентификация с Европейския съюз в гимназиалния етап на средното образование в България

Abstract: The article analyzes the concept of European identity and presents a methodology for researching this complex social and cultural phenomenon through the prism of the educational language policy (policy of multilingualism) at the national and institutional level at the high school stage of secondary education in Bulgaria. Considering that the subjective attitudes and individuals’ attitudes in the process of identification with the European Union are studied, the Q-methodology is found to be extremely useful. This methodology is not new and has already been applied in many fields, but in the field of language learning and teaching it is about to gain momentum. In this sense, this research is innovative, especially as far as secondary education and in particular language education in the country is concerned. Keywords: European identity, identification with the EU, language learning, language policy, multilingualism, Q-methodology.

Multilingualism an Asset to National Development: Nigeria in Focus

Linguistic diversity in the world today has been an issue of growing social importance because a majority of all living languages are threaded in their continued existence. This brought about this research work: “Multilingualism as an asset to national development, a study of Nigeria”. the main aim of this research work is to appreciate the idea that multilingualism may be an asset of national development or a liability, to find a way of supporting it, the equilibrium points between multilingualism and national development, to give it some valuable suggestions which might be of help in language planning in a multilingual and multicultural setting like Nigeria. to bring this to the limelight, some research works were carried out as the researcher shared out some questionnaires, of which the respondents were a total of one hundred copies were collected for the research, the respondent is the students of English department and from other departments in Madonna University Okija. With a percentage and a frequency table, the data were properly analyzed. The outcome or result obtained showed that multilingualism or linguistic diversity did not project or promote disintegration in the country; rather the linguistic diversity in Nigeria has been a national resource that helped to move the country forward and not take multilingualism to be an instrument for national disintegration. In conclusion, the researcher made some recommendations that both the people at the helm of affairs should help in promoting national development through the use of multilingual policy in the country and the dissemination of information materials to the public like newspapers, posters, computer applications and programs to promote multilingualism.

Enactment of English medium instruction in under-resourced educational contexts: A case of multilingual public secondary schools in Nepal

English as a medium of instruction (EMI) policy has shown substantial growth in all levels of education, driven by diverse aspirations such as raising individuals’ global competitiveness and internationalization of education. Such a growth of EMI has been questioned from equity perspective. However, they largely draw on perception-based evidence, and do not capture exactly why and how the EMI has arisen and been practiced at the school and classroom levels, against the official, multilingual policy. This paper explores the practiced EMI policy through a qualitative multi-case study, involving in-depth interviews, focus groups and classroom observations in three Nepalese public secondary schools. The data were analysed thematically drawing on the theory of policy enactment and translanguaging. Findings showed that schools consciously chose EMI in full or part for practical reasons (e.g., career prospect) opening some equity-related issues, but teachers and students commonly adopted translanguaging strategies to deal with language and content-related problems and to level the ground for students with limited English proficiency. The findings ask critical language policy researchers to seriously consider the context in theorising equitable language policy. Practical measures to increase educational equity, such as legitimising the use of community languages in class, are also proposed.

Minority languages in Europe: Problems of Albanian as the second official language in North Macedonia

<span lang="EN-US">This study aimed at analyzing the status of Albanian as the second official language in North Macedonia, by firstly giving an overview of the language policy in the European Union (EU), its approach to multilingualism, stressing out the idea that a similar multilingual policy can be used as a model by other European countries. The study analysed the current situation regarding the use and application of the Albanian language in North Macedonia, by analyzing the law on languages and some issues regarding Albanian as the language of instruction. Qualitative methods were used for the aims of this study. The data was collected through document analysis for analyzing how the EU deals with multilingual issues; identify arising issues due to the use of Albanian as the second official language in North Macedonia and through semi-structured interviews with Albanian teachers from various schools to investigate their perceptions of the status of Albanian and about problems they face in their work routine. Teachers were posed five interview questions. After evaluating the data, some important issues were identified such as the need for further improvement to the law on languages, the need for opening more Albanian schools, and the need for continuous training for teachers.</span>

Narratives of linguistic victimhood and majority groups’ acculturation strategies and multilingual attitudes: The mediating role of intergroup empathy

Language is a crucial element of the acculturation process. In immigration-receiving societies, studying the linguistic acculturation of majority groups is socially and theoretically relevant. In bilingual contexts where co-official languages have a history of conflict, the narrative of linguistic victimhood may play an important role in predicting responses to linguistically diverse immigrants. In two correlational studies in historically linguistically oppressed societies, specifically in the Basque Country (N = 589) and Catalonia (N = 526), using representative samples, we explored the relationship between a society's narratives of inclusive linguistic victimhood, encompassing both general perceptions (i.e., perceived similarities between in-groups' and out-groups' experiences of linguistic victimization) and context-specific perceptions (i.e., perceived similarity between the linguistic victimhood of the host society group and of immigrant linguistic minorities), and majority group attitudes towards linguistic acculturation (i.e., willingness to learn the languages of immigrant groups or to maintain the majority group language) and multilingual policies. Additionally, we examined the mediating role of intergroup empathy in these associations. The results indicated that, while general inclusive victimhood narratives were associated with native language preservation, context-specific narratives were linked to stronger willingness to learn immigrants' languages and supporting multilingual policies. Empathy played a mediating role between general inclusive victimhood and the willingness to acquire immigrant group languages, as well as in the relationship with attitudes towards multilingual policies. The theoretical and practical implications of these victimization narratives for acculturation processes and structural changes in the host society are also discussed.

English medium instruction (EMI) in Moroccan secondary schools: Science teachers’ perception

The present study explored a small-scale English medium instruction (EMI) initiative in Moroccan secondary schools, which is part of a top-down multilingual policy based on teaching science subjects through foreign languages, namely French, English, and Spanish. 18 secondary EMI teachers of math, physics and life and earth sciences were interviewed in order to understand the new policy. Following grounded theory (GT) methodology, the findings show positive attitudes towards the implementation of EMI in Moroccan education, but the teachers seemed unsatisfied with the way it has been implemented. They thought science teachers were not prepared for such a new tendency. The study also revealed that teachers’ low English proficiency was considered the major challenge to the successful implementation of EMI in Moroccan secondary schools and the essential reason behind using the first language in the EMI classroom. To prepare future generations for extending EMI in the Moroccan education, the teachers called for a switch to English as the first foreign language, instead of French, in all levels of schooling, and suggested gradual introduction of EMI in primary and middle schools. The study ends with some implications for overcoming the challenges of the new policy.

The Influence of Virtual Communication on the Lingual Picture of the World (on the Example of WebEnglish)

The article analyzes language as a phenomenon of culture and emphasizes the ontological nature of language should be considered where the appearance of nouns in the language signifies the recognition of the existence of a thing or phenomenon. People pay attention and name the events that are most important in their lives. Therefore, dictionaries differ not only in the number of words but also in untranslatable concepts. Thus language determines what concepts can be thought in it. Due to historical conditions, the English language has become a means of international communication. The status has only strengthened in the era of virtual communication in networks. That is why the study seeks to answer two questions: how on-screen communication affects language changes and what are the consequences for the English language due to its lingual dominance. On-screen communication favors the dominance of written speech for chatting, but even messages expected to function as oral speech are being printed, leading to the simplification of grammar, spelling, and syntax. This has led to the creation of some abbreviations that have become multimeaning expressions widely used in everyday oral and official communication. Secondly, global English, or so-called WebEnglish (Weblish), is learned by communicators superficially, without diving into meaningful phraseological, idiomatic depths. This contributes to its creolization and simplification. Therefore, a worthy response to the challenges that Weblish poses to the English language is the protection of linguistic and cultural diversity and the implementation of a policy of multilingualism in the world.

루마니아의 다문화주의와 다언어정책

This study aims to examine Romanian multiculturalism and multilingual policies that emerged after joining the European Union. To this end, the historical background and development process were examined, focusing on significant inflection points. In this regard, the following are discussed: first, the definition of various concepts of multiculturalism, the analysis of aspects of Romanian multiculturalism within the framework of that definition, and the analysis of multicultural characteristics of Transylvania, a region where minorities are concentrated. Second, the significant changes in multilingual policies, which are deeply related to a multicultural society, and an analysis of the current situation. The characteristics of multiculturalism in Romania are manifested by its historical background and the Process of forming minorities. It can be seen through the fundamental spirit of various laws and the Constitution that pluralism recognizing the identity of minorities existed in principle after the transition in 1989. However, the practice of this spirit had considerable friction with the nationalist forces inside Romania, and there were also several legal deficiencies. The turning point of this conflict was the Process of reorganizing laws based on the goal of incorporating into European society through EU membership. Regarding the issue of minority languages, the biggest issue of a multi-ethnic society, the rights and interests of minority languages have been legally guaranteed at a more advanced level since the enactment of related laws in 2007, but conflicts between ethnic groups still exist. Even now, improvements in the institutional part to enhance the value of a multicultural and multilingual society continue.

Visuals to Ideologies: Exploring the Linguistic Landscapes of Mindanao State University Marawi Campus

The research demonstrated the linguistic landscapes of the Mindanao State University Marawi Campus in the Southern Philippines, known as the “Melting Pot of the South”, where multilingualism, multiculturalism, and multimodality were quite situated. Linguistic Landscape (LL) encompassed and manifested the range of language use in society. Under the theoretical lens of linguistics, the research aimed to qualitatively and descriptively illustrate the linguistic tokens that marked the context of the school community. The needed data were photographed and collected inside the university premises and analyzed in terms of the number of languages used, language choice, and types of signs. The research reveals a sociolinguistic paradox: the multilingual realities of the school community and the prevalent exhibitions of monolingual English on its linguistic landscapes, which consequently seems to dishearten the status, propagation, promotion, and/or effectivity of multilingual policies and education in the Philippines. Furthermore, the research provides theoretical and practical contributions. Theoretically, it shows another lens of the notion of presumed language prestige and hierarchies. Furthermore, practically, it aids the deepening of knowledge and understanding of language use, and its implications, in public spaces. Finally, the research suggests revisiting and recalibrating the exhibition of multilingualism in the country by simply considering the status of language use in their environments, as they do not just reflect or manifest languages but also propagate and promote them.

Integrated foreign languages teaching: development of learning outcomes for IT majors

Introduction. Design of descriptors for achieving objectives of foreign language education in case of non-language majors at tertiary level on the basis of the existing scales of the Common European Competences in Foreign Language (CEFR) promotes the policy of cultural diversity and multilingualism implemented by the Council of Europe. The motivation for the research lies in the fact that Russian universities lack a clear and transparent system of criteria that can be used for planning and assessing foreign language competences for non-language majors. The paper presents a developed scale of descriptors for planning learning outcomes and assessing language proficiency of undergraduate students majoring in information technologies in the context of Russian education at tertiary level. With regard to federal state educational standards for higher education, foreign language competence is described as integrative foreign language professional communicative competence which combines professional and linguistic constituents. Materials and methods. The exploration adopted combined methods of analysis of previous studies, CEFR descriptors, interviews with master and bachelor students of IT majors (Togliatti State University, Russia), and foreign language communicative needs analysis in the IT industry. The obtained data were then processed in the backward design of targeted learning outcomes following the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages format. Research results. The study elicited cross-cultural communicative needs in the industry in question, and then there were selected appropriate CEFR descriptors for their subsequent modification. The choice of the CEFR format was justified by its high adaptability and the author’s previous successful experience of elaborating such scale descriptors for automotive engineering majors. The author designed a scale for A2, B1 and B2 levels, where learning outcomes are presented as descriptors of communicative language activities with CEFR level distinctions being combined with activities involved in on-the-job cross-cultural communication. Conclusion. The initiated research should be helpful to investigate ways of devising and testing adequate sets of CEFR-based descriptors to improve the quality of university syllabi. The proposed scale of descriptors has certain limitations, therefore, further exploration directions are outlined. Keywords: integrative foreign language professional communicative competence, learning outcomes, CEFR-based descriptors, assessment, IT majors

El Reglamento General de la Convención Constitucional chilena: entre la retórica del multilingüismo y el monolingüismo hegemónico en la práctica

In this article I analyze the Rules of Procedure of the Chilean Constitutional Convention as a document that promoted a multilingual policy of deliberation and participation in the Chilean Constitutional Convention. I show how this text interacts with the discourses of a number of social actors and with the communicative practices observed in the Convention. I conclude that the rhetoric of multilingualism in the text is insufficient to disrupt the hegemonic monolingualism in the Convention and that it operates, rather, as a type of discursive legitimation of the Convention itself. However, given the political-historical context in which this text emerges, I argue that it has an important symbolic and political-ideological value as a disruptor of the monolingual institutional ideologies in Chile.

Foreign Language Education for Sustainable Development in China: A Case Study of German Language Education

Sustainable development is a widely discussed topic. English language education plays the dominant role in China, but the education of languages other than English (LOTEs) is more important for sustainable development. Based on a case study of German language education, this paper draws SWOT analysis to discuss the current foreign language education in China associated with sustainable development. We find that there are four current trends in the sustainable development of foreign language education in China: promotion of sustainable multilingual education, cultivation of sustainable citizens, integration of cultural values for sustainable development and digitalization for sustainable foreign language education. There are also challenges and new perspectives. A rational and systematic policy of multilingualism should be planned. In order to cultivate sustainable citizens who are able to respond to various global problems, the curricula, teaching materials and examinations for LOTE teaching at secondary schools and universities should be co-designed to work with each other. In order to integrate cultural values effectively, more suitable teaching materials should be developed and published, and teachers need to be trained for practicing these contents in class. Digitization in teaching, research and learning should be promoted.

Strengthening common European values in the system of Ukrainian pedagogical education in the conditions of war

The article deals with the peculiarities of the functioning of the education system in Ukraine in the conditions of the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, which led to the threat of non-compliance with a number of European values. The authors emphasize that currently Ukrainian higher pedagogical education is forced to solve tasks caused by the war, namely the organization of the educational process using blended and distance formats of learning in the reconstructed higher education institutions which were destroyed; creating a physically and psychologically safe educational environment for all the participants of the educational process, proper functioning of temporarily relocated institutions of higher education. Thus, the article describes the case of Bogdan Khmelnytsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University, which was temporarily relocated to the city of Zaporizhzhia due to the occupation of the Melitopol city. The aim of the article is to determine the role of generally accepted European values in the professional training of future teachers of foreign languages in the conditions of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The authors reveal in detail the essence of key European values and characterize their impact on the formation of professional competence of future teachers of foreign languages. The article provides a detailed description of the training course “Strengthening the EU common values through the policy of multilingualism in the education and training of future teachers”, which was developed by university teachers as a part of the Jean Monnet Module course. The authors emphasize that learning on this module will help students to get closer to European values and in future promote the need for their dissemination among students of general secondary education institutions.