TEACHING THIRD LANGUAGES: FINDINGS, TRENDS AND CHALLENGES

TEACHING THIRD LANGUAGES: FINDINGS, TRENDS AND CHALLENGES

1. 1. Researching multilingualism

   • History
     • Braun (1937): multilingualism as an active balance perfect profiency in 2 or more languages.
     • Vildomec (1963): distinction between bilingualism and multilingualism and advantatges of multilingualism.
     • Late 60s and 70s: the influence of the L1 on the other language(s)
     • Thomas (1988): the advantages of bilingual learners over monolingual in process of learning an L3 (USA)
   • Definitions
     • Most studies considerate L2 learning or bilingualism as cover terms for multilingualism.
     • Haarman (1980): bilinguism as a variant of multilingualiism.
     • Hufeisen (1998): multilingualiism as the learning of more than two languages.
       • A dynamic system approach this two points of view.
         • Jessner (2008): multilingualism as an acquisition of any language
     • European context
       • Plurilingualism: individual multilingualism.
       • Multilingualism: societal use of more languages.
   • Conceptual framework
     • Current models of TLA
       • Bilingual and multilingual production models
         • De Bot (1992): in his bilingual model describes how selection and control work in a belingual sapeaker
         • Clyne (2003): model of plurilingual processing. Language chioce is influenced by social and motivational factors.
       • The activation/inhibition model
         • Green (1986): bilingual speakers, their languages show different levels of activation.
         • Green (1998): developed the model which emphasizes multiple levels of control.
       • The factor model
         • Hufeisen (1998): five initial stages of language acquisition
           • a) Neurophysiological factors
           • b) Learner external factors
           • c) Emotional factors
           • d) Cognitive factors
           • e) Linguistic factors
       • The multilingual processing mode
         • MeiBner (2004): explain processes taking place during the reception of written and oral texts in an unknown language, belonging to a typologically related language family.
       • A dynamic systems theory model of multilinguism
       • The model of multilinguality
         • MUltilingualism refers to the process and results of TLA
         • Multilinguality concerns the multilingual communicator
     • Differences and similitaries between SLA and TLA.
       • SLA
         • 2 routes
           • 1) Learning an L2 in parallel to the L1
           • 2) Start learning an L2 consecutively.
         • Cenoz (2000): 4 types of acquisition
           • (i) simultaneous acquisition of L1/L2/L3
           • (ii) consecutive acquisition of L1, L2 and L3
           • (iii) simultaneous acquisition of L2/L3 after learning the L1
           • (iv) simultaneous acquisition of L1/L2before learning L3
       • TLA
         • L3 learners:
           • 1) Children growing up with three languages from birth.
           • 2) Bilingual children learning L3 at school.
           • 3) Bilingual migrant children moving on to a new linguistic enviroment.
           • 4) Adolescent students learning another language at high school.

2. 2. Sociolinguistic aspects of third language learning

   • Language prestige and attitudes towards multilingualism
   • Multilingualism in European countries
     • Horizontal multilingualism
       • Speakers live in their own geographic spaces and are often monolingual.
     • Vertical multilingualism
       • Speakers are in daily contact with other languages.
         • English as an L3: "multilingualism with English" (Hoffmann, 2000).

3. 3. Psycholinguistic aspects of third language learning

   • Effects of bilingualism on additional language learging
     • Life with 2 or more languages: advantages in language knowledge, cognitive and sociopragmatic development.
     • Multilingual learners use different strategies to monolingual students learning their first foreing language.
       • Studies indicated a positive effect of bilingualism on TLA

4. 4. Educational aspects of third language learning

   • The complexity of multilingual education
     • Second language learning (L2) as a subject. Bilingual education refers to the instruction in two languages.
     • TLA (L3) as a school subject. Trilingual education use three languages as languages of instruction.
   • Multilingual teaching projects in Europe
     • EuroCom: to provide European citizens with a solid linguistic basis for understanding each other.
     • Projects founded by the ECML: to encourage excellence and innovation in language teaching and to help Europeans learn languages more effectively.

5. 5. Emerging trends in teaching third languages

   • Focus on the multilingual learner
     • Traditional classroom: teachers keep knowledge about other languages out of the class in order not to confuse students.
       • New developments: cooperation between the languages in the learner, starting with previous experiences and strategies.
       • In contrast
   • Focus on the multilingual teacher
     • The teacher who teaches several languages.
     • The teacher who is also a language learner
       • use this knowlegde in the classroom.
       • can
   • Focus on mulitlingual didactics
     • The special role of English
       • For the majority of the population, Enligh presents the world's lingua franca
         • pupils should not stop learning other languages
           • Hufeisen (2005): multilingualism can be achieved more effectively if pupils starts learning other languages before English.
             • English could and should function as an ice-breaker and create an openness to linguistic diversity
         • but it do not means that
     • Common curriculum and multilingual didactics
       • Include other languages in other subjects, as in content-based language learning.