Multilingualism

By-Rishabh Kumar – 2012CSB1029

Mohit Jasapara – 2012EEB1059

MULTILINGUALISM

Apprendre une autre langue, c'est comme le commencement d'une autre vie.- Michel Bouthot

• Multilingualism is the act of using polyglotism, or using multiple languages.

• It can be either used by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers.

SUBJECT OF DEBATE

MAXIMAL DEFINITION

• Complete competence and mastery like a native

MINIMAL DEFINITION

• Knowledge of basic grammar and basic communicative skills

Teaching institutions do not know how much knowledge to impart. Hence most speakers do not achieve maximally ideal level.

Vivian Cook has argued that most multilingual speakers fall somewhere between minimal and maximal definitions. Cook calls these people multi-competent.

ADDITIVE

• Learning of second language does not interfere with first language.

• English speakers in QUEBECoften learn French to upgrade business skills.

SUBSTRACTIVE

• Learning of second language does interfere (replaces) with first language.

• Successive US immigrant generations eventually become monolingual English speakers.

WAYS OF ACQUISITION

SUCCESSIVE SEQUENTIAL RECEPTIVE

• Learning one language after already knowing another.

• Eg. Those who become bilingual as adults or in early life.

Successive Bilingualism

• Learning two languages as “first languages”.

• Speaking no languages at all to speaking two languages directly.

• Eg. Infants exposed to two languages from birth.

Simultaneous Bilingualism

• Having the ability to understand a second language but not speaking it or not being able to speak it due to psychological barriers.

• Eg. Children in Mexican immigrant households hear English on TV, in stores etc., but use their home language (Spanish) in everyday communication. When they enter preschool or kindergarten, these children are likely to make rapid progress in English because their receptive language skills in English has been developed.

Receptive Bilingualism

Need Of Multilingualism

Today

Personal Growth

Tolerance & respect

towards other cultures

Job Mobility

Abroad Study

Broadens employment opportunities

Increases vocabulary &

effectiveness of speech