Speaker
Description
The concept monolingual mindset is a way of thinking that privileges the possession and use of a singular linguistic code and considers multilingualism problematic. This concept has long influenced language teaching. It has done so by the way the teaching of language, especially English, has been framed towards achieving an ideal monolingual speaker. Although the multilingual turn in language teaching has been influential in questioning and reframing the monolingual mindset in language teaching and learning, there needs to be a more consistent framework to guide how we move forward. In this talk, I argue for a shift towards a multilingual mindset, a way of thinking about language learning, language teaching, and language use expectant of variations in our learners’ language repertoire, language use, and language features. I further argue that the multilingual mindset can even be extended to multilingual habitus, an institutional stance that views linguistic diversity favourably and reflects this at the levels of principles, policies, and practices in (English) language learning and teaching.
In this workshop, participants will have an opportunity to query and discuss further the multilingual mindset and multilingual habitus presented in the plenary. In addition, participants will then have an opportunity to work in small groups to identify how the concepts can be implemented in principles, policies, and practices in their respective educational institutions.