Issues involved in developing a multilingual approach to language teaching within higher education

What is it about?

This article the concepts of multilingualism and plurilingualism that are currently used, and the ways in which they are reflected in practice. It suggests that there is a largely monolingual ethos in language teaching, based on long-established pedagogical priorities. It examines difficulties in developing multicultural professional identities, arising from communities of practice that are often monolingual, and from competition for curriculum time and resources. It puts forward strategies to encourage multilingualism through professional development and through the development of intercultural approaches. It argues that significant advances in multilingual pedagogy can be achieved by encouraging greater collaboration between teachers, between their associations and between governmental agencies. And it concludes that language teachers may need to consider adopting a more transnational professional identity.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

This is important because the traditional approaches to language teaching have not kept up with the changing world. In particular, individual languages are taught as if they exist in a vacuum, whereas all languages interact with other languages, and learners bring their own language repertoire into the learning process.

Perspectives