MULTILINGUALISM IN THE
CLASSROOM
(based on the MULTEMO Project)
Assoc. Prof. Dr Galya Mateva
Assoc. Prof. Dr Svetlana Dimitrova
21st BETA-IATEFL Annual International Conference
Ruse, Bulgaria, 30th March – 1st April 2012
Video:
How to become fluent in 11
languages – multilingualism in practice
20 year old Alex Rawlings explains how he became fluent in 11
languages: “The more [languages] you learn, the easier it becomes.”
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Aangenaam u te ontmoeten!
Mucho gusto en conocerle!~Encantado/-da!
Malonu susipazinti!
Angenehm!
Incantant de cunostinta!
Je suis très heureuxse de faire votre
connaissance! ~ Enchanté/-e.
Mi fa molto piacere conoscerla.~ Tanto
piacere!
Очень рада с Вами познакомиться!
What is the English equivalent? How many (groups of)
languages did you recognise? How did you decide?
HOW TO INTERPRET
MULTILINGUALISM?

6000-7000 languages
in existence in the
world (half of them
dying out)

700 languages in a
single country

19 official languages
in a country

City schools with 30
mother tongues
among students
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Countries where
English is spoken as
L1 or L2

Countries with
majority / minority
languages

Monolingual
countries with less
widely spoken
languages
DIFFERENT CONTEXTS,
DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS

Smooth transition from L1 to L2, L3?

Learning one`s mother tongue, one
regional or official language and one
international language?

Integrating knowledge of several
languages in foreign language classes?
Can these be considered multilingual
education? What is the difference in
approach?
SUCCESSIVE OR
SIMULTANEOUS
MULTILINGUALISM?
OR MAYBE BOTH?
The project context
Experimenting with aspects of simultaneous
multilingualism in European schools where
English is L1 or L2 and where classes are
predominantly monolingual
 Integrated
into the L2 syllabus basic
knowledge, comprehension skills and
partial use of multiple languages
 determined
by the needs of cultural
and linguistic diversity, globalisation
and transnational mobility.
DEFINING MULTILINGUALISM IN
THE PRESENT CONTEXT
BACKGROUND TO THE ORIGINAL IDEATHE LANGUAGES BRIDGE AND THE
MULTEMO PROJECT
The Languages Bridge©
A multilingual approach to acquiring
language learning strategies and
knowledge about language
Currently used in over 100 primary and
secondary schools in the UK [age range 8-13]
www.ilrc.co.uk
I
L R
C
THE INTERNATIONAL LEARNING
AND RESEARCH CENTRE IN BATH
The Languages Bridge©
Rationale for the project
• By drawing on a number of different
languages, the multilingual approach can
be very successful in improving pupils’
general language learning ability.
• The Building Blocks support generic
language learning aptitude, they do not
teach a specific language.
I
L R
C
THE INTERNATIONAL LEARNING
AND RESEARCH CENTRE IN BATH
The Languages Bridge©
Which languages are included?
French
Spanish
Portuguese
I
L R
C
German
Italian
Mandarin
Romanian
Japanese
THE INTERNATIONAL LEARNING
AND RESEARCH CENTRE IN BATH
THE INTERNATIONAL
RESEARCH
BB4 - Word properties
BB2 - Sound andAND
word recognition
BB5 - Sentence
types IN BATH
LEARNING
CENTRE
I
L R
BB1- General
sound discrimination
C
BB3 - Word classes
BB6 - Real purposes & real audiences
A Leonardo EU project
aiming to adapt the
Languages Bridge
Methodology
to Vocational Contexts
(2010-2012)
Coordinator: ILRC, Bath
THE MULTEMO PROJECT PARTNERS: UK, Germany,
Holland, Lithuania & OPTIMA, Bulgaria
BY COMPARING AND ANALYSING ASPECTS OF
DIFFERENT LANGUAGES IN PROFESSIONAL
CONTEXTS :
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To develop generic language knowledge and language
learning skills
To develop basic metalinguistic awareness across
languages and language groups
To contribute to learners` multicultural competence in an
increasingly global and competitive world
To contribute to the development of learners` thinking
skills
To contribute to the development of learners` social and
general communication skills
MULTEMO AIMS
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CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS
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COOPERATIVE LEARNING
THINKING/REFLECTIVE SKILLS
THE THREE PILLARS OF
THE MULTILINGUAL APPROACH
Contrastive analysis can be defined as an
inductive, investigative approach based
on the distinctive elements in one or more
languages. It consists of:
◦ Type A “Intralingual”
◦ Type B “Crosslinguistic”
Type B includes comparative analysis of
phonological, morphological, syntactic,
lexical, semantic, discourse features, as
well as study of interference of languages
THE FIRST PILLAR: CROSSLINGUISTIC
ASPECTS OF CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS
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AVVOCATO
A V OCAT
A B OGADO
ADVOCATE
АДВОКАТ
Italian
French
Spanish
English
български и руски
Try to notice the different letters
and the consonant changes.
CROSSLINGUSTIC ANALYSISNOTICING AND REFLECTING
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Features of language cannot be learned unless
they have been noticed (after R. Schmidt).
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Noticing can be regarded as a bridge connecting
the subconscious and conscious mind in the
process of learning.
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Noticing should be followed by analysis.
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The analysis involves various thinking processes.
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Active thinking is fostered by group interaction.
CROSSLINGUSTIC ANALYSISNOTICING AND REFLECTING
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Excuse me, where is the exit?
Pardon, waar is de uitgang?
Scusi, dove e la uscita?
Entschuldigung! Wo ist der Ausgang?
Atsiprasau, kur yra isejimas?
Простите, где выход?
Извинете, къде е изходът?
Perdone, donde esta la salida?
CROSSLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS
Which are the languages/language groups?
Linguistic
features
Language
Group1
Language
Group 1
Language
Group 2
Language
Group 2
Language
Group 3
Language
Group 3
Language
Group 4
Language
Dutch
German
Italian
Spanish
Bulgarian
Russian
Lithuanian
noun
EXIT
article
THE
Question
word
WHERE
Verb
IS
Polite
address
EXCUSE
ME
CROSSLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS
CONTRASTING LINGUISTIC FEATURES
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Step 1: Work in groups of four and decide together on the
language groups and languages exemplified.
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Step 2: Work individually to complete the language group of
your choice.
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Step 3: Work again in your group of four, look at your team
findings and discuss all languages:
◦
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◦
Similarities/differences
Similarities/differences
Similarities/differences
Similarities/differences
Similarities/differences
in
in
in
in
in
the
the
the
the
the
noun
article
question word
verb
polite address
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Step 4: What did you find out about languages? What
strategies did you apply?
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Step 5: Reflect on your performance, on the group interaction
and the contributions of all participants. How successful were
you? Don`t forget to praise each other!
Learning in small groups where interaction is
STRUCTURED according to a set of
PRINCIPLES
1.Simultaneous interaction
2.Equal participation
3.Positive interdependence
4.Individual accountability
(after Jette Stenlev, 2003)
THE SECOND PILLAR:
COOPERATIVE LEARNING
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The STRUCTURE (precise step-by-step guidance
of interaction) and the assigned individual roles
distinguish cooperative learning from traditional
group work.
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Different aims require different structures which
guide group interaction
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Crosslinguistic analysis develops learners`
knowledge, communication, thinking and social
skills
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Each structured group interaction ends with
reflective THINKING
COOPERATIVE LEARNING AND
MULTILINGUAL TASKS
LOTS low order
thinking skills
Identifying structures,
spelling rules
 Remembering chunks
of language
 Classifying letters into
aliens, traitors and
friends
 Locating the position
of articles, suffixes
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HOTS high order
thinking skills
Contrasting parts of
speech, word order
 Making associations with
L1, with existing
schemata
 Reasoning and answering
WHY questions
 Evaluating and reflecting
on one`s own
performance at the end of
a task
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THE THIRD PILLAR:THINKING SKILLS
AND MULTILINGUAL TASKS
Personal awareness of
acquired multilingual
knowledge
Personal awareness of
applied cognitive
strategies
Personal consideration
of one`s own learning
Personal consideration
of achievement
Personal consideration
of the benefit of group
interaction
REFLECTIVE THINKING ON PROCESSES AND
MULTILINGUAL TASK OUTCOMES
MULTILINGUAL TASK
TYPOLOGY
Defining MULTEMO tasks
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A task is an activity “where the target
language is used by the learner for a
communicative purpose (goal) in order to
achieve an outcome”.
(Jane Willis 2005)
The Multilingual tasks are content-based
& theme-based, the procedure often
involves reflection & problem solving,
the outcome of the task is related to
improved generic language competence
and enhanced language learning skills.
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Task design is tailored in
accordance with:
 vocational contexts
[the need to use the language in professional situations]
 the
age range of target student
groups
[secondary school, 13+]
 the
level of FL competence & the
linguistic experience of the
students MULTEMO TASK TYPOLOGY
the impact of the target learners
Need analysis of target student groups in
vocational contexts revealed a consistent
trend (across partner countries / educational
institutions) for predominant use of foreign
languages by students:
 when travelling abroad;
 when communicating with foreign friends
and business partners;
 when browsing the internet for study - or
work-related resources & materials in other
languages.
MULTEMO TASK TYPOLOGY
the choice of topics and tasks
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verbal
[authentic or adapted]
(e.g. sound files with
words/phrases, dialogues,
songs, quizzes, story
extracts, newspaper and
magazine articles or
advertisements, letters or
emails, post cards or
business cards, hotel or
travel brochures, menus,
weather forecasts, diaries, TV
/ seminar programmes,
timetables, etc.)

non-verbal
(e.g. a picture set or
sequence, photographs,
video clips, graphs and
charts, some realia – e.g.
menus with illustrating
photos, pictures of airport
signs and display boards,
computer screen shots, etc.)
Parallel in several
languages
MULTEMO TASK TYPOLOGY
the input
TASK TYPES
Listing
Ordering & sorting
- brainstorming
- fact-finding
- sequencing
- classifying/categorizing
Problem solving
Comparing & matching
- analysing
- reasoning
- decision making
- finding differences
- finding similarities
Sharing personal expereinces
- narrating
- describing
- exploring & explaining
MULTEMO TASK TYPOLOGY
Language form focus
• PHONOLOGY: sound discrimination
• GRAPHEMOLOGY: discrimination of the letters of the Cyrillic
alphabet, recognition of language families and typical
characteristics of languages
• MORPHOLOGY: recognition and manipulation of word classes,
understanding of word structure (prefixes, suffixes) and its
impact on the general word meaning, understanding of
grammatical / semantic categories such as gender, number or
tense and their exponents in languages (e.g. tense markers,
determiners, etc.)
• SYNTAX: understanding of sentence types (e.g. questions,
negatives, imperatives) and construction (word order)
• LEXICOLOGY: recognition and comprehension of international
words and cognates
• DISCOURSE/TEXT: recognition and manipulation of text types
MULTEMO TASK TYPOLOGY
Skills or language-in-use focus
• Developing the receptive skills (READING & LISTENING
comprehension): context reliance in the interpretation of
meaning, using prosodic features (intonation) and supralingual
elements of speech (body language) to aid comprehension,
using reference materials (incl. online ones) to help language
learning
• Developing the productive skills (SPEAKING & WRITING):
understanding and executing language functions &
communicative tasks – e.g. introductions, thanking, expressing
opinion, (dis)agreeing, making requests, telephoning, ordering
food, effective use of computer language, etc.
• Developing intercultural competence: understanding and
manipulating degrees of politeness, non-verbal patterns of
behaviour , etc.
MULTEMO TASK TYPOLOGY
BENEFITS AND OUTCOMES OF
SIMULTANEOUS MULTILINGUAL
EDUCATION
TO HAVE ANOTHER LANGUAGE IS
TO POSSESS ANOTHER SOUL
king of France, 8th century
GIVEN THE APPROPRIATE ENVIRONMENT TWO
LANGUAGES ARE AS NORMAL AS TWO LUNGS
V.COOK, 2002
Perception and analysis of multiple linguistic
features
 General language learning skills and strategies
 Cognitive flexibility and higher-order thinking
skills of learners
 Confidence in situations of real-life vocational
communication
 Employment advantages and social adaptability
of learners
 Ability to expand horizons and appreciate other
and own culture from a different perspective
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BENEFITS AND OUTCOMES OF SIMULTANEOUS
MULTILINGUALISM: WHAT CAN BE IMPROVED?
KOSZONOM A FIGYELMUKET!