ERIC Number: EJ1051643
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Jan
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0261-4448
EISSN: N/A
Multilingual Interaction and Minority Languages: Proficiency and Language Practices in Education and Society
Gorter, Durk
Language Teaching, v48 n1 p82-98 Jan 2015
In this plenary speech I examine multilingual interaction in a number of European regions in which minority languages are being revitalized. Education is a crucial variable, but the wider society is equally significant. The context of revitalization is no longer bilingual but increasingly multilingual. I draw on the results of a long-running project on the "Added value of multilingualism and diversity in educational contexts" among secondary school students, and show that there are interesting differences and similarities between the minority language (Basque or Frisian), the majority language (Spanish or Dutch) and English. The focus on multilingualism is applied inside and outside the school. The discussion demonstrates the complexity of everyday multilingual practices and the outcomes have implications for the gap between education and society and for further research into the linkages between language proficiency and actual language practices.
Descriptors: Multilingualism, Language Minorities, Language Maintenance, Secondary School Students, Spanish, Indo European Languages, Language Proficiency, Uncommonly Taught Languages, English (Second Language), Educational Practices, Language Usage, Program Descriptions
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Speeches/Meeting Papers; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A