Issues of learning english in a multilingual multicultural society
Answers
Answer:
MONOLINGUAL VERSUS MULTILINGUAL SITUATIONS
From the point of view of L2/FL acquisition, the distinction between a monolingual and
a multilingual situation may be characterized in two ways either in terms of source language
(SL) groups or in terms of target language (FL) types.
In a monolingual situation, two kinds of SL groups are typically involved in L2/FL ac-
quisition. On the one hand, several SL groups may be learning the predominantly spoken lan-
guage in the country as a L2; for example, immigrants or ethnic minorities learning English in
England. Let us refer to this as the many-one situation. On the other hand, a single SL group
may be involved in the acquisition of several languages; for example, native English speakers
in the USA learning French, German or Yoruba. This we may call the one-many situation. Both
these situations also occur in a multilingual context. For example, several SL groups in Nigeria
learning English will count as a many-one situation, while a single SL group learning English
and another Nigerian language counts as a one-many situation.
The one situation which is bnly typical of a multilingual context is the existence of sev-
eral dominant SL groups (and not just minorities) trying to acquire several target languages.
For example, when major language groups in Nigeria acquire English, another Nigerian lan-
guage and a foreign language, this is not comparable to minority SL groups in a monolingual
situation acquiring the dominant language and perhaps thereafter a foreign language. In fact,
such a case is more like two sequential situations: a many-one followed by a one-many situa-
tion. The multilingual case is more aptly referred to as a many-many situation.
The other way the difference between a monolingual and a multilingual situation may be
characterized is by the type of language acquired. In any situation where more than one lan-
guage is acquired, such languages are typically foreign languages in a monolingual situation,
but they can be foreign languages and/or second languages (L2s) in a multilingual situation.
What is even more interesting is that it is only in a multilingual situation that more than one L2
may be acquired. A typical example of this is SL groups in Nigeria learning English and a
Nigerian language as L2 as well as French as a FL.
It should be clear from the above comparison that L2/FL acquisition in a multilingual
context is not very different from such acquisition in a monolingual context. The differences
observed are not so much differences in kind but rather in degree. It follows from the compari-
son that the same SLA theories may be found useful for both contexts, and similarproblems in
respect of methodology, syllabus design, teacher training, preparation of materials etc., may
well be encountered, and hence, experiences gained in one context may be found useful in the
other. However, the few differences identified point to a greater complexity in second language
acquisition in a multilingual context.
From the point of view of language planning, more complicated policy decisions and
The issues of learning English in a multilingual and multicultural society have different perspectives but narrowing down, the main issue is to collaborate learning of English with linguistic and cultural knowledge of the particular place where English is introduced. Another issue according to researchers pointed to the three language policy( mother tongue, the national language, and English) seems to be pragmatic in different societies.
Explanation:
In a country with multilingual and multicultural people, the introduction of the English language has chances to detach from the local language which serves to be the culture of the place.