Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T18:18:57.015Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Defining Multilingualism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2013

Jasone Cenoz
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This article looks at the definitions and scope of multilingualism and the different perspectives used in its study. Multilingualism is a very common phenomenon that has received much scholarly attention in recent years. Multilingualism is also an interdisciplinary phenomenon that can be studied from both an individual and a societal perspective. In this article, several dimensions of multilingualism are considered, and different types of multilingualism are discussed. The article summarizes the themes researched in various areas of the study of multilingualism such as neurolinguistics, psycholinguistics, linguistics, education, sociolinguistics, and language policy. These areas look at language acquisition and language processing as well as the use of different languages in social contexts and adopt a variety of research methodologies. The last section of the article compares monolingual and holistic perspectives in the study of multilingualism, paying special attention to new approaches developed in the past few years that argue for establishing more fluid boundaries between languages.

Type
SECTION A: INTRODUCTION TO MULTILINGUALISM
Information
Annual Review of Applied Linguistics , Volume 33 , March 2013 , pp. 3 - 18
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cook, V., & Bassetti, B. (Eds.). (2011). Language and bilingual cognition. Oxford, UK: Psychology Press.

This edited book explores the relationship between language and cognition. The volume is divided into three parts: (a) the relationship between language and cognition, (b) bilingual cognition, and (c) applications and implications of bilingual cognition research. The volume explores the relationship between language and cognition in different domains of thinking, including time, space and motion, reason, and emotion and sensory perception. This volume can certainly be of great interest for students and researchers.

De Groot, A. M. B. (2011). Language and cognition in bilinguals and multilinguals: An introduction. New York, NY: Psychology Press.

This monograph looks at individual multilingualism from a psycholinguistic approach. This substantial, introductory text of more than 500 pages provides an up-to-date account of comprehension, production, and acquisition processes. The volume also discusses the cognitive consequences of multilingualism and neuropsychological aspects of multilingualism. It is a very welcome contribution to studies on multilingualism that can be highly recommended both to students and researchers.

García, O. (2009). Introducing bilingual education. In García, O. (Ed.), Bilingual education in the 21st century: A global perspective (pp. 3–17). Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

This volume presents a holistic approach to the study of multilingual education. The author proposed a new paradigm looking at the complexity and dynamics of multilingual education. This book is highly recommended for all those interested in multilingual education and multiple discursive practices in school contexts. The book contains 15 chapters and covers a range of topics: translanguaging, educational policies, assessment, education practices, and multiliteracy.

Li, W., & Moyer, M. (Eds.). (2008). The Blackwell handbook of research methods on bilingualism and multilingualism (pp. 3–17). Oxford, UK: Blackwell.

This edited volume contains 22 chapters and specifically addresses methodological issues when conducting research on multilingualism. It provides a theoretical background of research in bilingualism, but the main focus is on procedures, methods, and tools. The last part of the volume provides ideas for projects and dissemination and provides sources on multilingualism. It is an excellent multidisciplinary guide for students and new researchers in multilingualism.

Martin-Jones, M., Blackledge, A., & Creese, A. (Eds.). (2012). The Routledge handbook of multilingualism. London, UK: Routledge.

This edited volume contains 32 chapters and focuses on sociolinguistic and ethnographic research in multilingualism. It looks at discourses about multilingualism in social, cultural, and political contexts; multilingualism in education; multilingualism in other institutional sites; multilingualism in social and cultural change; and multilingual practices. It is an outstanding contribution to the study of societal multilingualism.

REFERENCES

Aronin, L., & Singleton, D. (2008). Multilingualism as a new linguistic dispensation. International Journal of Multilingualism, 5, 1–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bailey, B. (2012). Heteroglossia. In Martin-Jones, M., Blackledge, A., & Creese, A. (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of multilingualism (pp. 499–507). London, UK: Routledge.Google Scholar
Baker, C. (2011). Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
Bassetti, B., & Cook, V. (2011). Language and cognition: The second language user. In Cook, V. J. & Bassetti, B. (Eds.), Language and bilingual cognition (pp. 143–190). Oxford, UK: Psychology Press.Google Scholar
Bialystok, E., Craik, F. I., Klein, R., & Viswanathan, M. (2004). Bilingualism, aging, and cognitive control: Evidence from the Simon task. Psychology and Aging, 19, 290–303.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bialystok, E., Craik, F. I., & Luk, G. (2008). Cognitive control and lexical access in younger and older bilinguals. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 34, 859–873.Google ScholarPubMed
Byrd Clark, J. (2009). Multilingualism, citizenship, and identity: Voices of youth and symbolic investments in an urban, globalized world. London, UK: Continuum.Google Scholar
Block, D. (2007). Bilingualism: Four assumptions and four responses. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 1, 66–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Block, D. (2008). Multilingual identities in a global city. London, UK: Palgrave.Google Scholar
Bourdieu, P. (1991). Language and symbolic power. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.Google Scholar
Canagarajah, S. (2007). Lingua franca English, multilingual communities, and language acquisition. Modern Language Journal, 91, 923–939.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Canagarajah, S., & Liyanage, I. (2012). Lessons from pre-colonial multilingualism. In Martin-Jones, M., Blackledge, A., & Creese, A. (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of multilingualism (pp. 49–65). London, UK: Routledge.Google Scholar
Cenoz, J. (2009). Towards multilingual education: Basque educational research from an international perspective. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cenoz, J., & Gorter, D. (2011). Focus on multilingualism: A study of trilingual writing. Modern Language Journal, 95, 356–369.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cook, V. (1992). Evidence for multicompetence. Language Learning, 42, 557–591.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cook, V. (Ed.). (2003). Effects of the second language on the first. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cook, V., & Bassetti, B. (Eds.). (2011). Language and bilingual cognition. Oxford, UK: Psychology Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Council of Europe. (n.d.). Policies for Plurilingualism. Council of Europe, Education and Language, Language Policy (website). Retrieved from http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Division_en.aspGoogle Scholar
Creese, A., & Blackledge, A. (2010). Translanguaging in the bilingual classroom: A pedagogy for learning and teaching. Modern Language Journal, 94, 103–115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cruz-Ferreira, M. (Ed.). (2010). Multilingual norms. Frankfurt, Germany: Peter Lang.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Angelis, G. (2007). Third or additional language learning. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
De Bot, K. (2008). Review article: The imaging of what in the multilingual mind? Second Language Research, 24, 111–133.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Groot, A. M. B. (2011). Language and cognition in bilinguals and multilinguals: An introduction. New York, NY: Psychology Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dewaele, J. M. (2010). Emotions in multiple languages. London, UK: Palgrave.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dijkstra, A. (2009). The multilingual lexicon. In Dominiek, S., Östman, J. O., & Verschueren, J. (Eds.), Cognition and pragmatics: Handbook of pragmatics highlights (pp. 369–389). Amsterdam, the Netherlands: John Benjamins.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edwards, V. (2004). Multilingualism in the English-speaking world. Oxford, UK: Blackwell.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edwards, J. (2012). Multilingualism: Understanding linguistic diversity. London, UK: Continuum.Google Scholar
European Commission. (2007). Final report: High level group on multilingualism. Luxembourg: European Communities. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/lang/doc/multireport_en.pdfGoogle Scholar
García, O. (2009). Introducing bilingual education. In García, O. (Ed.), Bilingual education in the 21st century: A global perspective (pp. 3–17). Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.Google Scholar
Gardner-Choros, P. (2009). Code-switching. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gardner, S., & Martin-Jones, M. (Eds.). (2012). Multilingualism, discourse, and ethnography. London, UK: RoutledgeCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grosjean, F. (1985). The bilingual as a competent but specific speaker-hearer. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 6, 467–477.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grosjean, F. (2010). Bilingual: Life and reality. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heller, M. (2007). Bilingualism as ideology and practice. In Heller, M. (Ed.) Bilingualism as a social approach (pp. 1–24). Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Internet World Stats. (2011). Internet world users by language. Retrieved from http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats7.htmGoogle Scholar
Jarvis, S., & Pavlenko, A. (2008). Crosslinguistic influence in language and cognition. New York, NY: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jessner, U. (2008). A DST model of multilingualism and the role of metalinguistic awareness. Modern Language Journal, 92, 270–283CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jørgensen, J. N. (2008). Polylingual languaging around and among children and adolescents. International Journal of Multilingualism, 5, 161–176.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kecskes, I. (2010). Dual and multilanguage systems. International Journal of Multilingualism, 7, 91–109.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kemp, C. (2009). Defining multilingualism. In Aronin, L. & Hufeisen, B. (Eds.), The exploration of multilingualism: Development of research on L3, multilingualism, and multiple language acquisition (pp. 11–26). Amsterdam, the Netherlands: John Benjamins.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirkpatrick, A., & Sussex, R. (Eds.). (2012). English as an international language in Asia: Implications for language education. Berlin, Germany: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kramsch, C. (2010). The multilingual subject. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Kramsch, C., & Whiteside, A. (2007). Three fundamental concepts in SLA and their relevance in multilingual contexts. The Modern Language Journal, 91, 905–920.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lewis, M. P. (Ed.). (2009). Ethnologue: Languages of the world (16th ed.). Dallas, TX: SIL International. Retrieved from http://www.ethnologue.com/Google Scholar
Li, W. (2008). Research perspectives on bilingualism and multilingualism. In Li, W. & Moyer, M. (Eds.), The Blackwell handbook of research methods on bilingualism and multilingualism (pp. 3–17). Oxford, UK: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Li, W. (2010). Moment analysis and translanguaging space: Discursive construction of identities by multilingual Chinese youth in Britain. Journal of Pragmatics, 43, 1222–1235.Google Scholar
Li, W. (2011). Multilinguality, multimodality, and multicompetence: Code- and modeswitching by minority ethnic children in complementary schools. Modern Language Journal, 95, 370–384.Google Scholar
Lin, A., & Li, D. C. S. (2012). Codeswitching. In Martin-Jones, M., Blackledge, A., & Creese, A. (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of multilingualism (pp. 470–481). London, UK: Routledge.Google Scholar
Lüdi, G., & Py, B. (2009). To be or not to be . . . a plurilingual speaker. International Journal of Multilingualism, 6, 154–167.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lytra, V. (2012). Multilingualism and multimodality. In Martin-Jones, M., Blackledge, A., & Creese, A. (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of multilingualism (pp. 521–537). London, UK: Routledge.Google Scholar
Moore, D., & Gajo, L. (2009). Introduction: French voices on plurilingualism and pluriculturalism: Theory, significance, and perspectives. International Journal of Multilingualism, 6, 137–153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Otsuji, E., & Pennycook, A. (2009). Metrolingualism: Fixity, fluidity, and language in flux. International Journal of Multilingualism, 7, 240–254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paradis, J. (2007). Early bilingual and multilingual acquisition. In Auer, P. & Li, W. (Eds.), Handbook of multilingualism and multilingual communication (pp. 15–44). Berlin, Germany: Mouton de Gruyter.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pavlenko, A. (2005). Emotions and multilingualism. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Pavlenko, A. (Ed.). (2009). The bilingual mental lexicon: Interdisciplinary approaches. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pavlenko, A. (Ed.). (2011). Thinking and speaking in two languages. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pavlenko, A., & Blackledge, A. (Eds.). (2004). Negotiation of identities in multilingual contexts. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rampton, B. (1995). Crossing: Language & ethnicity among adolescents. London, UK: Longman.Google Scholar
Rampton, B., & Charalambous, C. (2012). Crossing. In Martin-Jones, M., Blackledge, A., & Creese, A. (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of multilingualism (pp. 482–498). London, UK: Routledge.Google Scholar
Shohamy, E., & Gorter, D. (Eds.). (2009). Linguistic landscape: Expanding the scenery. New York, NY: Routledge.Google Scholar
Skutnabb-Kangas, T., & McCarty, T. (2008). Key concepts in bilingual education: Ideological, historical, epistemological, and empirical foundations. In Cummins, J. & Hornberger, N. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of language and education: Bilingual education (2nd ed., Vol. 5, pp. 3–17). New York, NY: Springer.Google Scholar
Soltero-González, L., Escamilla, K., & Hopewell, S. (2012). Changing teachers’ perceptions about the writing abilities of emerging bilingual students: Towards a holistic bilingual perspective on writing assessment. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 15, 71–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Todeva, E., & Cenoz, J. (Eds.). (2009). The multiple realities of multilingualism. Berlin, Germany: Mouton de Gruyter.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, C. (2002). Extending bilingualism in the education system. (Education and Lifelong Learning Committee ELL-06–02 [p. 4]). Retrieved from http://www.assemblywales.org/3c91c7af00023d820000595000000000.pdfGoogle Scholar
Zeevaert, L., & Ten Thije, J. D. (2007). Introduction. In Ten Thije, J. D. & Zeevaert, L. (Eds.), Receptive multilingualism (pp. 1–21). Amsterdam, the Netherlands: John Benjamins.Google Scholar