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Multidisciplinary Approaches to Multilingual Sustainability

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2022) | Viewed by 21409

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Mirta Vernice

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Guest Editor

Department of Humanities, University of Urbino, Italy
Interests: psycholinguistics; language acquisition; sentence processing; applied linguistics; literacy development; multilingualism

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Multilingualism, either at the individual or at community level, has a profound impact on our society. However, many countries still find it difficult to manage linguistic diversity as a positive element from cultural, social, educational, and economic points of view. Additionally, when considering indicators of sustainable development, those related to language rights in a linguistically diverse context hardly play a role (the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations provide a striking example in this respect).

In the light of the above considerations, the challenges posed by a multilingual society involve the need for enacting scientifically motivated support actions within different contexts, such as education and healthcare, in order to make multilingualism central in the sustainability debate.

To this purpose, the Special Issue aims to collect empirical and theoretical contributions related to the study of multilingualism from a multidisciplinary perspective. Studies might address the implications of multilingualism at the individual (e.g., cognitive, and psychological effects across the lifespan), clinical (e.g., implications for clinical interventions), educational (e.g., impact on educational practices) and social levels (e.g., language policies).

Research topics include but are not exclusive to cognitive effects of bi-multilingualism, biliteracy, bilingual education, social aspects of multilingualism, heritage language, and minority languages, language policy.

References:

Berthoud, A.C., Grin, F., and Lüdi, G. (2013). Exploring the dynamics of multilingualism: The DYLAN project. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Bialystok, E., Luk, G., & Kwan, E. (2009). Bilingualism, biliteracy, and learning to read: Interactions among languages and writing systems. Scientific Studies of Reading, 9(1), 43-61.

Kohnert, K. (2010). Bilingual Children with Primary Language Impairment: Issues, Evidence and Implications for Clinical Actions. Journal of Communication Disorders, 43, 456-473.

Bialystok E., Abutalebi J., Bak T. H., Burke D. M., Kroll J. F. (2016). Aging in two languages: implications for public health. Ageing Research Review, 27, 56–60.

Gazzola, M, and Bengt-Arne W. (2016). The Economics of Language Policy. Cambridge (MA): MIT Press.

Gorter, D., & Cenoz, J. (2011). Multilingual education for European minority languages: The Basque country and Friesland. International Review of Education, 57, 651-666.

MacSwan, J., (2017). A multilingual perspective on translanguaging. American Educational Research Journal, 54 (1),167–201.

May, S. and Hornberger, N. H. (2008). Language Policy and Political Issues in Education. New York: Springer.

Romaine, S. (2000). Language in society. An introduction to sociolinguistics (2nd [1994]). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Prof. Dr. Mirta Vernice
Guest Editor

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Keywords

multilingualism
multilingual development
multilingual education
minority languages
heritage languages
language policies

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 985 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Learning and Well-Being in Multilingual Adolescents with Italian as L2: A Comparison with Monolingual Peers with and without a Learning Disorder

by Roberta Bettoni, Mirta Vernice, Marta Tironi, Elisabetta Lombardi, Ilaria Offredi, Marisa Giorgetti, Maria Luisa Lorusso, Daniela Sarti and Daniela Traficante

Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4381; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054381 - 01 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1162

Abstract

The current exploratory study aimed to offer a description of the learning skills and well-being of multilingual adolescents with Italian as L2, a population regarded as vulnerable with respect to their academic achievements and psychosocial profile. We compared the performance of L2 participants with that of their monolingual peers with and without Specific Learning Disorders on a range of tests and questionnaires to define their learning skills and well-being within the school context. Results confirm greater reading difficulties in the L2 group compared to monolingual peers with Specific Learning Disorders. This pilot study offers one of the first investigations into the learning skills and well-being of a scarcely studied population, namely L2 adolescents. Additionally, it discusses practices that can be implemented within the classroom to promote inclusion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multidisciplinary Approaches to Multilingual Sustainability)

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28 pages, 3619 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Language Competition and Language Shift in Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Projection and Trajectory for the Number of Friulian Speakers to 2050

by Michele Gazzola and Torsten Templin

Sustainability 2022, 14(6), 3319; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063319 - 11 Mar 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2168

Abstract

This article analyses how the number of speakers of the Friulian language changes over time in the territory where this language is traditionally spoken, that is, the provinces of Udine, Pordenone, and Gorizia, located in the north-east of Italy in the autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The aim of this research is twofold. First, it illustrates how the number of speakers of Friulian evolved over the past 40 years. To this end, we provide an overview of the findings of empirical studies on the Friulian language from 1977, 1998, and 2014. We complement these findings with population figures, birth and death rates, as well as data on migration and language transmission in order to provide a better understanding of the current situation in the three provinces. Second, these data are used to set up a mathematical language dynamic (or language competition) model. With the help of this empirically informed model, we derive projections for the future of the Friulian language in the three provinces. The results show that the number of Friulian speakers will decrease from 600,000 in 2014 to about 530,000 in 2050 (−11%), and that the number of regular Friulian speakers will decreases from 420,000 to 320,000 (−23%). By 2050, about 30% of the population will speak Friulian regularly and about 50% will speak Friulian regularly or occasionally. Only in the province of Udine will Friulian speakers still be in a clear majority. The analysis suggests that a stronger commitment to language policy protecting and promoting Friulian is needed in order to counteract these trends. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multidisciplinary Approaches to Multilingual Sustainability)

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17 pages, 1872 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Is Bilingual Education Sustainable?

by Francesca Costa and Maria Teresa Guasti

Sustainability 2021, 13(24), 13766; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413766 - 13 Dec 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2399

Abstract

We present cross-sectional research to verify whether learning to read in Italian (the participants’ mother language and majority language) is delayed when simultaneously learning to read in English (a second language not spoken in the country). Available evidence considering the specific combination of bilingual orthographies being acquired suggests that there should not be adverse effects on the Italian literacy outcomes of Italian–English immersion students. To verify this hypothesis, the Italian reading performance of three groups of bilinguals educated in 50:50 Italian–English immersion programs in Grades 1, 3 and 5 were compared to that of three control groups of Italian monolingual peers attending mainstream monolingual Italian schools. The second aim was to examine the impact of an Italian–English immersion program on English language and literacy skills. To pursue this goal, we examined the English performance of the bilingual group across Grades 1, 3, and 5. Finally, we aimed to verify whether the language and reading attainments exhibited by the bilingual children in Italian were correlated to their English performance. The results show that bilingual children were not less proficient in Italian than monolingual children; improvement in English was observed across all grades, and performance in Italian was correlated with performance in English. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multidisciplinary Approaches to Multilingual Sustainability)

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32 pages, 1687 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Speech and Language Therapy Service for Multilingual Children: Attitudes and Approaches across Four European Countries

by Theresa Bloder, Maren Eikerling, Tanja Rinker and Maria Luisa Lorusso

Sustainability 2021, 13(21), 12143; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132112143 - 03 Nov 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4932

Abstract

Educational equality and the reduction of discrimination are among the UN’s Sustainability Goals. Previous studies as well as policy recommendations suggest that the extent to which these are implemented in the field of speech and language therapy for multilingual children depends on sufficient knowledge and material. To this end, an online survey was carried out with 300 Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) from Austria, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland, investigating their attitudes and approaches regarding the service provision for multilingual children. Their responses were analyzed taking the SLTs’ language background, experience, and country of origin into account. Results were interpreted in the context of country-specific SLT service-related policies and SLT training as well as migration history. There seems to be a gap between the SLTs’ knowledge about the specific requirements for providing Speech Language Therapy (SLT) for multilingual children and their common practice, which—despite the continuous need of further training—points to sufficient awareness but a lack of materials or resources. We found experience in working with multilingual children to be the most influential factor on attitudes and approaches towards multilingualism. This suggests the importance of improving pre-exam and early-career professional experience to foster SLTs’ development of mindful attitudes and appropriate approaches towards multilingualism in their clinical practice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multidisciplinary Approaches to Multilingual Sustainability)

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14 pages, 1298 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Educating Language Minority Students in South Korea: Multilingual Sustainability and Linguistic Human Rights

by Lee Jin Choi

Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3122; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063122 - 12 Mar 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3099

Abstract

In the context of globalization, the landscape of language in Korea has changed dramatically in the last three decades because of the influx of marriage migrants and foreign workers. The growing number of immigrant and international marriages has led to the emergence of new linguistic minorities in Korea who have multicultural and multilingual backgrounds, and they challenge Korea’s long-lasting tradition of linguistic homogeneity and purity. Language related education for this newly emerging group of language minority students, whose number has increased dramatically since the late-1990s, has become a salient issue. This paper critically analyzes the current education policies and programs designed for the newly emerging group of language minority students, and examines the prospects for sustainable development of these students in Korea. In particular, it focuses on the underlying ideology of linguistic nationalism and assimilationist integration regime embedded in various education policy initiatives and reforms, which require language minority students to forgo their multilingual background and forcibly embrace linguistic homogeneity. The paper elaborates on alternative educational programs that could enable language minority students to achieve sustainable development and progress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multidisciplinary Approaches to Multilingual Sustainability)

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Review

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15 pages, 330 KiB

Open AccessReview

Participatory Detection of Language Barriers towards Multilingual Sustainability(ies) in Africa

by Gabriela Litre, Fabrice Hirsch, Patrick Caron, Alexander Andrason, Nathalie Bonnardel, Valerie Fointiat, Wilhelmina Onyothi Nekoto, Jade Abbott, Cristiana Dobre, Juliana Dalboni, Agnès Steuckardt, Giancarlo Luxardo and Hervé Bohbot

Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 8133; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14138133 - 04 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2832

Abstract

After decades of political, economic, and scientific efforts, humanity has not gotten any closer to global sustainability. With less than a decade to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) deadline of the 2030 Agenda, we show that global development agendas may be getting lost in translation, from their initial formulation to their final implementation. Sustainability science does not “speak” most of the 2000 languages from Africa, where the lack of indigenous terminology hinders global efforts such as the COVID-19 pandemic fight. Sociolinguistics, social psychology, cognitive ergonomics, geography, environmental sciences, and artificial intelligence (AI) are all relevant disciplinary fields to uncover the “foreign language effect” that hinders the implementation of the SDGs in Africa. We make the case for detecting and addressing language barriers towards multilingual sustainability in Africa by (1) exploring the ”foreign language effect” among African decision-makers and recognising their alternative social representations about sustainability; and (2) detecting Western language stereotypes about sustainability. We propose rethinking SDG-related scientific notions through participatory natural language processing (NLP) and the study of African social representations of sustainability, thus enabling a more inclusive and efficient approach to “sustainability(ies)”. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multidisciplinary Approaches to Multilingual Sustainability)

16 pages, 307 KiB

Open AccessReview

Supporting Bilingualism in Vulnerable Populations

by Maria Vender, Mirta Vernice and Antonella Sorace

Sustainability 2021, 13(24), 13830; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413830 - 14 Dec 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2920

Abstract

Although bilingualism is generally appraised and supported by society, many more doubts arise when it comes to children suffering from neurodevelopmental disorders. The concern that the exposure to two languages might deteriorate the linguistic development of children, together with the advice to simplify the linguistic environment and to adopt a monolingual approach, leads many families to abandon their home language and sacrifice bilingualism. Scientific research, however, has shown that this fear is ungrounded and that children with developmental disorders can become successful bilingual speakers, if they are provided with appropriate linguistic exposure. The aim of this paper is that of providing a state-of-the-art of the literature on this topic, by reviewing studies conducted on the interaction between bilingualism and neurodevelopmental disorders, focusing in particular on the interaction between bilingualism and developmental language disorder (DLD), developmental dyslexia and autism spectrum disorder. We discuss issues related to the early identification of DLD and dyslexia among bilinguals and we report the results of studies showing that bilingualism does not exacerbate the difficulties of children with developmental disorders, but on the contrary it can be beneficial for them, at the cognitive, linguistic and socio-cultural level. Finally, we provide some recommendations for parents, educators and practitioners, focusing on the importance of supporting the family language in all of its components, including literacy, for a complete and harmonic bilingual growth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multidisciplinary Approaches to Multilingual Sustainability)

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