Speaking of multilinguals... (original) (raw)

Lecture 1: What Is Multilingualism?

What Is Multilingualism? , 2019

There is so far no simple, short and ‘one size fits all’ answer to the question ‘What is multilingualism?’. This lecture will show why we should not expect one. Instead, it will acquaint the reader with the forms, appearances and key features of multilingualism. It will discuss the basic terminology and concepts of multilingualism, introduce the fundamentals that have been established in the field so far, mention some theories and concepts suggested and employed for the study of multilingualism and provide an update on its most recent developments. In the lecture, multilingualism will be considered in a general sense mostly as a societal phenomenon.

Defining and investigating monolingualism

Sociolinguistic Studies, 2008

Some may find it strange to see a special journal issue on monolingualism. After all, is it not bilinguals and multilinguals who present the more interesting questions? It certainly seems so, for research has concentrated on their linguistic, psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic make-up. The implication of this is that monolingualism is the norm, and that bilingualism and multilingualism constitute abnormal states which merit investigation; even though this idea sits oddly with the belief of most linguists that the majority of the world's population is bi-or multilingual, and that therefore monolingualism may be the exception rather than the norm. There is little systematic investigation of monolingualism: Romaine pointed out in 1995 that she would find it strange to see a book with the title 'Monolingualism'. This special issue of Sociolinguistic Studies carries just such a title, and the papers it includes represent an attempt to explore the phenomenon of monolingualism from a number of different perspectives. In this introduction I will outline why a simple definition of monolingualism is neither easy to establish nor useful, and also why it is important to come to an understanding of it as a particular kind of 'lingualism' (Cruz Ferreira p.c.). I then review ways in which monolingualism has been represented thus far in the literature, outline some possible research questions and end by introducing the contributions to this volume.

Multilingual individuals and multilingual societies

2012

The volume's number is 13 in John Benjamin's reputable series Hamburg Studies on Multilingualism. Defying superstition, the book with its Editors' Foreword, 25 chapters, name and subject indexes is a commendable enterprise. This excellent publication presents a stimulating panorama of research carried out by the Collaborative Research Center on "Multilingualism." The three main areas of investigation: (1) the acquisition of multilingualism, (2) historical aspects of multilinguals and variance, and (3) multilingual communications, are among the main foci of contemporary research on multilingualism. At present, the term multilingualism is a buzzword. A deluge of books, articles, and projects have appeared, and along with positive aspects of this long awaited change, sometimes the word multilingualism is used as an attraction in a book or article title, unsupported by the contents. Unlike those, this volume is really about multilingualism and its treatment of various linguistic phenomena goes beyond the monolingual paradigm.

Multilinguals as Others in society and academia: Challenges of belonging under a monolingual habitus

Working Papers in Urban Language & Literacies 302, 2022

Public discourse in a range of countries has been reported to be characterised by Othering practices that support dichotomies between a national and monolingual "in-group" and multilingual speakers who are constructed as secondary citizens and often associated with special needs, even if they have grown up locally. Less in the focus of analysis is the fact that such patterns are also found in our field, and a closer look at linguistic publications reveals that certain patterns of Othering might be typical or even systemic, rather than exceptional. Exclusionary practices are evident in terminology that continues to reflect a narrow, monolingual view of (ethnic and) linguistic in-groups. Monolingual practices still tend to be canonised as defining the normal, unmarked case, and bilinguals are then assessed against this yardstick in terms of deviations. As a result, they can be erased as native speakers, have their language use analysed through a lens of potential errors and problems, or be excluded from the speaker pool for linguistic analysis. We present examples from different linguistic subdisciplines and discuss language-ideological implications and possible effects on research perspectives and agendas.

Multilingualism: the case for a new research focus

International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 2009

We have been taught and have taught for decades, that language is not set in concrete, that it is not immutable, that it is in constant flux and that it changes over time and space. Yet, when it comes to multilingualism, the focus seems to be solely on the threats to its diversity and maintenance, rather than on its ever-changing dynamics. This article aims to o¤er an analytical perspective on multilingualism as an evolving process, with new language combinations within individual language repertoires and the language profiles of speech communities and polities across generations and around the world.