Multilingualism PDF Download

Author: John Edwards
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1441113762
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 89

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Book Description
HOW DO LANGUAGES LIVE AND DIE? WHAT ROLE DOES TRANSLATION PLAY IN HELPING LANGUAGES TO THRIVE? ARE POLYGLOTS VIEWED WITH SUSPICION, GIVEN THE LINKS BETWEEN LANGUAGE AND IDENTITY? IS THE MAINTENANCE AND REVIVAL OF FLAGGING LANGUAGES WORTH THE EFFORT? CAN A LANGUAGE REMAIN 'PURE'? IF LANGUAGE PATTERNS CONSTANTLY ALTER, WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT IDENTITY? Multilingualism is everywhere in a globalized society. This book looks at the origins and development of languages, at language contact and competition, and at the emergence and the consequences of multilingualism. Edwards also examines lingua francas, pidgins, creoles and artificial languages as a part of a broader snapshot of the social life of language. This compelling short introduction is required reading for all entry-level students of multilingualism, and a primer for language lovers in general.

Author: Quentin Williams
Publisher: Channel View Publications
ISBN: 1800415338
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 340

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Book Description
This book offers a fresh perspective on the social life of multilingualism through the lens of the important notion of linguistic citizenship. All of the chapters are underpinned by a theoretical and methodological engagement with linguistic citizenship as a useful heuristic through which to understand sociolinguistic processes in late modernity, focusing in particular on linguistic agency and voices on the margins of our societies. The authors take stock of conservative, liberal, progressive and radical social transformations in democracies in the north and south, and consider the implications for multilingualism as a resource, as a way of life and as a feature of identity politics. Each chapter builds on earlier research on linguistic citizenship by illuminating how multilingualism (in both theory and practice) should be, or could be, thought of as inclusive when we recognize what multilingual speakers do with language for voice and agency.

Author: Larissa Aronin
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing
ISBN: 9027274983
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
This book is an authoritative account of multilingualism in the present era, a phenomenon affecting a vast number of communities, thousands of languages and millions of language users. The book’s focus is specifically on the knowledge and use of multiple languages, but its treatment of the topic is very wide-ranging. It deals with both bilingualism and polyglottism, at the level of the individual speaker as well as at the societal level. The volume addresses not only linguistic facets of multilingualism but also multilingualism’s cultural, sociological, educational, and psychological dimensions, moving from classic perspectives to recent and emerging directions of interest. The book’s extensive coverage takes in topics ranging from the ‘new linguistic dispensation’ in our globalized world to child development in multilingual environments, from the classification of multilingual groupings to characteristics of the multilingual mind. This breadth makes Multilingualism an ideal advanced textbook for undergraduate and postgraduate students in the areas of linguistics, education and the social sciences.

Author: John C. Maher
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0191038075
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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Book Description
The languages of the world can be seen and heard in cities and towns, forests and isolated settlements, as well as on the internet and in international organizations like the UN or the EU. How did the world acquire so many languages? Why can't we all speak one language, like English or Esperanto? And what makes a person bilingual? Multilingualism, language diversity in society, is a perfect expression of human plurality. About 6,500-7,000 languages are spoken, written and signed, throughout the linguistic landscape of the world, by people who communicate in more than one language (at work, or in the family or community). Many origin myths, like Babel, called it a 'punishment' but multilingualism makes us who we are and plays a large part of our sense of belonging. Languages are instruments for interacting with the cultural environment and their ecology is complex. They can die (Tasmanian), or decline then revive (Manx and Hawaiian), reconstitute from older forms (modern Hebrew), gain new status (Catalan and Maori) or become autonomous national languages (Croatian). Languages can even play a supportive and symbolic role as some territories pursue autonomy or nationhood, such as in the cases of Catalonia and Scotland. In this Very Short Introduction John C. Maher shows how multilingualism offers cultural diversity, complex identities, and alternative ways of doing and knowing to hybrid identities. Increasing multilingualism is drastically changing our view of the value of language, and our notion of the part language plays in national and cultural identities. At the same time multilingualism can lead to social and political conflict, unequal power relations, issues of multiculturalism, and discussions over 'national' or 'official' languages, with struggles over language rights of local and indigenous communities. Considering multilingualism in the context of globalization, Maher also looks at the fate of many endangered languages as they disappear from the world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Author: Gabrijela Aleksi?
Publisher: IAP
ISBN: 1648026222
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 297

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Book Description
This book is a synthesis of important topics in studying multilingualism: dynamic multilingualism, translanguaging, language policy, bilingual education, and bilingualism and cognition. The author as an immigrant herself integrated personal and dramatic experiences around most of the topics to show how they influence the lives of immigrants around the globe. The author’s aim is to reach the readers in a personal way. The issue of translanguaging and social justice is crucial for the book. The studies on bilingualism and cognition give amazing results on how bilingual children profit from increased metalinguistic awareness, abstract thinking, creativity, working memory, attention control, to name just a few. Bilingualism is shown to be a real gift for human understanding. The original feature of this book is the integration of excerpts of the interviews the author conducted with the experts in the field of bilingualism: Ellen Bialystok, Jim Cummins, Ofelia Garcí a, Christine He lot, Nancy Hornberger, and Catherine Snow. For each topic their opinions are combined with future directions in the research on bilingualism that can certainly inspire other researchers in the field. Finally, this book is called Drama of Multilingualism: Literature Review and Liberation, and it is exactly that, informing and affecting those who want to embark on this dramatic journey of exploring multilingualism.

Author: Anatoliy V. Kharkhurin
Publisher: Multilingual Matters
ISBN: 1847697968
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 236

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Book Description
In this monograph, Anatoliy V. Kharkhurin presents the results of his empirical investigation into the impact of multilingual practice on an individual's creative potential. Until now, the relationship between these two activities has received little attention in the academic community. The book makes an attempt to resuscitate this theme and provides a solid theoretical framework supported by contemporary empirical research conducted in a variety of geographic, linguistic, and sociocultural locations. This study demonstrates that several factors - such as the multilinguals' age of language acquisition, proficiency in these languages and experience with cultural settings in which these languages were acquired - have a positive impact on selective attention and language mediated concept activation mechanisms. Together, these facilitate generative and innovative capacities of creative thinking. This book will be of great interest not only to scholars in the fields of multilingualism and creativity, but also to educators and all those interested in enhancing foreign language learning and fostering creativity.

Author: Marianne Turner
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030215911
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 307

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Book Description
This book explores multilingualism as a resource and goal at school in contexts of student diversity and institutional monolingualism. Combining translanguaging theory and sociocultural theory, the author proposes a framework for the learning and use of both foreign and heritage languages across the curriculum in mainstream schools. By clearly linking language practices to teaching and learning objectives, the book aims to support school leaders and practitioners make informed decisions about how best to promote multilingualism in their school, as well as to enhance the learning outcomes of bi/multilinguals. In addition to school leaders and practitioners, it will be of interest to students and academics in the fields of bilingual education and TESOL, as well as applied linguistics and language teaching more broadly.

Author: Bahar Otcu-Grillman
Publisher: Multilingual Matters
ISBN: 1800410867
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 395

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Book Description
This book is both a collection of cutting-edge research in the areas of multilingualism, translanguaging and bilingual education by leading scholars in these fields, and a tribute to the research and influence of Ofelia García. The chapters use a variety of methodological approaches and research designs to address topics across language policy, sociology of language and bilingual education, representing the full breadth of Ofelia García’s scholarship. Combined with the empirical chapters are more personal chapters which testify to the contributions Ofelia has made as a mentor, colleague and friend. The book recognizes Ofelia García’s place at the centre of a movement to remake multilingualism in the service of linguistic equality, justice, pluralism, diversity and inclusion in schools and societies worldwide.

Author: Florian Coulmas
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198791100
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 341

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Book Description
This book offers an introduction to the many facets of multilingualism in a changing world. It begins with an overview of the multiplicity of human languages and their geographic distribution, before moving on to the key question of what multilingualism actually is and what is understood by terms such as 'mother tongue', 'native speaker', and 'speech community'. In the chapters that follow, Florian Coulmas systematically explores multilingualism with respect to the individual, institutions, cities, nations, and cyberspace. In each of these domains, the dynamics of language choice are undergoing changes as a result of economic, political, and cultural forces. Against this background, two chapters discuss the effects of linguistic diversity on the integration and separation of language and society, before a final chapter describes and assesses research methods for investigating multilingualism. Each chapter concludes with problems and questions for discussion, which place the topic in a real-world context. The book explores where, when, and why multilingualism came to be regarded as a problem, and why it presents a serious challenge for linguistic theory today. It provides the basic tools to analyse different kinds of multilingualism at both the individual and society level, and will be of interest to students of linguistics, sociology, education, and communication studies.

Author: Lajos Göncz
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1527571920
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 247

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Book Description
Multilingualism, including bilingualism, has become internationally important today because of the increasing interdependence between countries, regions and continents, and because of increasing concern with preserving linguistic and cultural diversity. This book is a comprehensive introduction to research on multilingualism. Although psychological aspects predominate, it provides a multidisciplinary perspective on the individual and societal consequences of multilingualism, bringing together insights from linguistics, pedagogy, cognitive neuroscience, sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics. The book underlines the normality of speaking and using more than one language, and serves to dispel many myths and fears in this regard. Besides theoretical issues, it also provides recommendations on how to promote multilingualism in children from a dominant language group, and how to maintain all languages of students from ethnic communities by means of education.