1.1. Languages we live by

Multilingualism vs. Plurilingualism

Plurilingualism has been closely associated with the Council of Europe approach to language learning which is  outlined in detail in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR[A1] ) published in 2001. Generally speaking, plurilingualism refers to the competences of a speaker of being able to use more than one language, while multilingualism refers to the presence of different languages in a given geographical area. By introducing the plurilingualism concept, the perspective has shifted from focusing on linguistic diversity in terms of different languages on offer in a particular school or education system to focusing on the individual and the range of linguistic means available to him or her. The language knowledge does not only refer to one person being more or less fluent in a foreign language but comprises all the linguistic means, however slight, which may be used in communication to mediate between individuals with no common language. Just knowing a few words in a language, such as counting to ten or the names of some types of food and beverage, may enable a person to communicate effectively and achieve a communicative aim. For instance, even if you can’t speak German, you might be able to dig out some useful German phrases when you’re trying to grab a beer in a beerhall for Octoberfest, blurting out »Zwei Bier, bitte!«.

Plurilingual communicative competence

Imagine two Europeans today conversing about sports, food or business. What is the likelihood their conversation will be strictly monolingual, even if they are native speakers of the same language? Or is it more likely they will draw upon different languages from their linguistic repertoire to make the communication as effective as possible. This is especially evident in bilingual areas in which people are used to shifting between languages and code-switching.

When we communicate with other people, we do not keep different languages in special mental compartments, which are strictly separated from each other but rather use all the linguistic means available to us in an integrated way. The plurilingualism concept therefore implies building up »a communicative competence to which all knowledge and experience of language contributes and in which languages interrelate and interact« (CEFR 2001, p. 5).

What is the implication of developing plurilingual competences? The most important implication is that achieving the mastery of one or more languages is no longer the goal. Now our aim is not achieving the ideal of ‘native-speaker competence’ but rather develop a range of linguistic means and abilities. At the same time, this means that schools and educational institutions should offer learners opportunities to learn a variety of different languages and develop plurilingual competence.

Foreign Languages in Europe – New Developments

According to the Eurydice report Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe (European Commission 2017) Europe has seen important changes in the area of language learning and teaching in the last decade. One of the most important changes can be seen in the age children start learning foreign/additional languages. Most children in Europe start learning the first foreign language as a compulsory subject between 6 and 7 years of age and in some countries this time has been pushed to the pre-school level. In fact, a number of European countries have introduced foreign language learning early in the primary school curriculum. Another change can be seen in the role of English as a foreign language. While in nearly all European countries English is the most studied foreign language, the proportion of students learning English at primary level has increased at EU level by 18.7 % since 2005, reaching a total of 79.4 %. The next most common foreign language studied is French (33.3 % of students at EU level) and the third German (23.1 % of students). Following this trend, English is also by far the most common foreign language studied at all levels. These developments pose several challenges to the development of the EU language policy and raising of plurilingual and pluricultural awareness in Europe.

Sources:

Council of Europe. 2001. Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment. Cambridge: CUP.

Council of Europe. 2018. Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment. Companion Volume with New Descriptors. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing.

European Commission. 2017. Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe:

Eurydice Report. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.

 Activity – My languages vs. the Eurobarometer data

Do the quiz below and compare your answers with data for people living in Europe (data adapted from Eurobarometer Report »Europeans and their Languages«). Click on either Yes or No, and see the comparison to the Eurobarometer results.

Council of Europe. 2018. Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment. Companion Volume with New Descriptors. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing. https://rm.coe.int/cefr-companion-volume-with-new-descriptors-2018/1680787989