In support of plurilingual people living in multilingual societies: Policies and frameworks of European language education

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waldemar Martyniuk
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Education Policy ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Language Education ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Language Education Policy ◽  
European Language ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
Policy Documents ◽  
Multilingual Societies

This article focuses on current European language education policy. It reviews relevant policy documents of the European Union and the Council of Europe. It also refers to the range of tools offered by the two intergovernmental organisations in support of linguistic diversity in contemporary European societies and the development of plurilingual abilities of their citizens

Rethinking Language Education policy in the Context of Multilingual/ Multicultural English

2021 ◽  
Vol X (2) ◽  
pp. 49-53
Author(s):  
Aicha Rahal ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Education Policy ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
World Englishes ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Language Education Policy ◽  
Global English

Globalization has brought about a phenomenal spread of English. This spread has led to the emergence of the newborn varieties which has created serious challenges to language teaching pedagogy and language education policy. Bangbose (2003) has clearly pointed to this issue, stating “as researchers in world Englishes, we cannot consider our job done if we turn a blind eye to the problems of educational failure or unfavorable language policy outcomes” (as cited in the Council of Europe, 2007, p. 31). It seems that there is a mismatch between the advances that happened in the field of applied linguistics and language education policy. This paper focuses on language education policy in the context of global English because it is considered one of the influential factors in the gap between English lingua franca reality and English as a native language. First, it gives a brief overview of the recent situation with regard to English and shows the recent reality of multilingual English and its multifarious aspect (Rahal, 2018 & 2019). It also discusses the conceptual gap in language education policy. It points to the conceptual gap between the sociolinguistic reality of English and the language education policy that is still oriented towards English as a native language. Then, the paper points to the need for a language policy that includes linguistic diversity.

Language Education Policy and Sociolinguistics

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jürgen Jaspers
Keyword(s):  
Education Policy ◽  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Scholarly Work ◽  
Language Education Policy ◽  
Reform Initiatives ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Nation States

Language education policies are pivotal in nation-states’ negotiation of a globalizing economy and a diversifying population. But certainly in urban, non-elite schools, where pupils’ linguistic diversity is pronounced, the fixation on language separation and multi-monolingualism produces salient sites of linguistic friction. Much scholarly work has successfully problematized this friction, producing an avalanche of criticism and ample calls for changes in schools’ approach to pupils’ primary linguistic skills and mixed language use. This chapter argues that while such calls are pedagogically exciting and justified on principle, a significant number of them reproduce some of the main assumptions behind the policies that they denounce, or invite problems of their own. Consequently, many calls for change may underestimate the difficulties of policy implementation, exaggerate their own effects, and overstate their critical character. This necessitates a reconsideration of the received relation between sociolinguistics and language education policy, and a revision of reform initiatives.

scholarly journals The notion of language in language education policy: a comparative analysis of Lithuania and Denmark

2017 ◽  
pp. 199-299
Author(s):  
Daina Urbonaitė
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
National Identity ◽  
Education Policy ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Education ◽  
The State ◽  
Official Language ◽  
Language Education Policy ◽  
Standard Language ◽  
Policy Documents

The article analyses the notion and ideology of language formed at the state level in Lithuania and Denmark. The aim is to examine the notion of language and the understanding of language functionality conveyed in the documents of language education policy and ideology emerging in them, also the purposes raised for language education. The official language education policy formed by the state exerts direct influence on language teaching at school and on the students’ formation of the notion of language. Therefore, the questions raised in this research are aimed at identifying what is implemented with the official language education policy, how much attention is devoted to developing the students’ communicative, argumentative skills and skills of independent critical thinking, and how much the policy focuses on the advocacy of national ideology and identity. The data of the research includes national language education policy documents which determine the implementation of language policy in the system of education of Lithuania and Denmark. The following aspects have been analysed: language functions as presented in the education policy documents: the communicative function and the function of national identity; the formation of ideology of nationality through language education; the formation of standard language ideology in language education policy; also the students’ linguistic competences to be developed at school. The results have shown that the notion of language emerging in the Lithuanian language education policy documents encompasses ideologies of standard language, language correctness and linguistic nationalism. The main goal of the Lithuanian language teaching is the implementation and strengthening of a single standard language norm and the formation of the notion of language as a protector and disseminator of national identity. However, the aim to develop language as a communicative tool as well as to develop the students’ critical thinking is also identifiable. The main goal of the Danish education policy is the development of the students’ communicative language function, critical-analytical thinking, and the formation of the notion of language as a means of communication, as well as of the notion of linguistic variation.

scholarly journals Power, policing, and language policy mechanisms in schools: A response to Hudson

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 461-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Cushing
Keyword(s):  
Education Policy ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
Language Ideologies ◽  
Applied Linguistics ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Standard English ◽  
Language Education Policy ◽  
Policy Documents ◽  
Lead Teachers ◽  
Policy Mechanisms

AbstractThis discussion is a response to Richard Hudson's response to my article, ‘The policy and policing of language in schools’ (Cushing 2019). Hudson argues that current education policy in England generally rejects and avoids prescriptivism and sets out to illustrate this in reference to a number of policy documents. As in my original article, I conceive of language policy as p/Political and one way in which language ideologies get turned into practices, through a series of policy mechanisms such as curricula, tests, and guidance for teachers. I show how these mechanisms do not ‘reject’ prescriptivism, but explicitly perpetuate it, and thus act as a system of coercion which can lead teachers into reproducing these ideologies in their practice. I argue that Hudson's argument is limited because of its depoliticised stance and understanding of key sociolinguistic concepts and issues, such as ‘Standard English’, ‘linguistic correctness’, and language education itself. (Language education policy, language ideologies, critical applied linguistics, schools, England)*

scholarly journals THE INFLUENCE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION MULTILINGUALISM POLICY ON THE TRAINING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS IN ROMANIAN UNIVERSITIES

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (16) ◽  
pp. 75-80
Author(s):  
Larisa Koroliova
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Foreign Language Teachers

The article highlited the European policy of multilingualism and multiculturalism of language education in European countries. Besides the article also deals with directions of joint activities of countries of the European Area in the organization of training foreign language teachers, the formation of uniform professional qualification standards for determining the professional definition of foreign language teachers, strategies and practical steps for the implementation of projects in the field of training foreign language teachers funded by the European Union and participation of European countries, in paticular Romania, in these projects. The European Union constantly emphasizes the fact that every citizen should be able to speak in his native language plus two other European languages, stresses the need to promote of linguistic diversity and the motivation of European citizens to learn less widely used languages and improve the quality of teaching foreign languages in educational establishments at different levels and focus its efforts to realize these ideas through the implementation of projects and programs that it has funded. The author focuses on the fact that Romania like all European countries is actively involved in the numerous projects and programs offered by the European Union as one of the priority areas of the Romanian Government is the quality of education at all levels and brings it in conformity with European standards. At the end of the article, the author concludes that the multilingual policy of the European Union has a certain influence on the training of foreign language teachers at the Romania Universities. The author also sums up that due to the participation in various educational projects and programs financed by the European Union among higher education institutions aimed at the development of multilingualism and multiculturalism of language education, the professional level of foreign languages teachers in Romania is increasing.

scholarly journals European Union and Council of Europe’s language trends

2019 ◽  
pp. 13-23
Author(s):  
O. P. Tokmenko
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
English Language ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
World Population ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
Third Language ◽  
The Media

It is estimated that in a few years, 1.5 billion people – a quarter of the total world population – will speak English. And majority will speak a second or third language (only for 400000000 English becomes in their native language). Three quarters of world correspondence and 80 % of e-mail on the Internet are now in English. However, the study of one language does not take place at the expense of another national, regional or minority language, which are equally important in the conditions of development and enrichment. The article highlights the peculiarities of introducing language policy trends of the European Union and the Council of Europe in globalization context at maintaining and protecting European linguistic diversity, not only acquiring the English language as linguafranca in international communication. The Council of Europe and the European Union emphasize the importance of linguistic diversity and plurilingual skills at all levels of education, and the mass media should be the source of informal language learning via entertaining and educational programs and movies with subtitles. The media are important for shaping people's attitudes towards other languages and cultures. The documents of the European Union and the Council of Europe determine that the media should provide people who do not speak many languages with newtechnologies and translation. In a globalized world, cultural diversity will become even more important as means of preserving human values. Learning a language means learning how to get closer to others. Learning a foreign language means equipping oneself with intellectual means to meet the real and the unknown, personal enrichment for knowing other cultures and their worldview. Therefore, the fundamental principles of the European Union and the Council of Europe in the field of language policy are the preservation and protection of European diversity, which should lead not only to the acquisition of English, but also to other European and world languages by all the inhabitants of Europe, simultaneously studying different regional languages.

scholarly journals Communication in Europe – some language policy aspects

2019 ◽  
pp. 50-73
Author(s):  
Detlev Blanke
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
Language Transfer ◽  
The European Union ◽  
European Language ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
Language Knowledge ◽  
Policy Models ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Eu

The Council of Europe and the European Union (EU) together declared 2001 to be the „European Year of Languages”. Since then, September 26 of each year has been celebrated as the “European Day of Languages”. These initiatives are indications that the significance of European language policy and the complex problems related to it have been receiving more and more attention. For present purposes, European language policy should be understood as consciously realized public influence on the status, use and spread of languages spoken in the EU. In this study, it is only possible to touch upon a few problems of this very broad field, including legal solutions, the languages and language knowledge of Europeans, practical language transfer, the costs of mulitilingualism and various language policy models.

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