Article contents
Defining Multilingualism
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 November 2013
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.
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- SECTION A: INTRODUCTION TO MULTILINGUALISM
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- Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013
References
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
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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.
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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.
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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.
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