USING MULTILINGUALISM TO ADVANTAGE IN ENGLISH DEPARTMENT CLASSES

Inggrid Brita Mathew

USING MULTILINGUALISM TO ADVANTAGE IN ENGLISH DEPARTMENT CLASSES

Inggrid Brita Mathew

Abstract

English department students at Padang State University are both multilingual and heading into a multilingual world and workplaces. Prudent use can be made of their previous and on-going experience of language acquisition when teaching English. Four strategies are described. For grammar/speaking classes brief comparative analysis of a problematic English sentence structure with other languages can be made.. For pronunciation classes, sounds where errors are frequently found can be taught by looking for any allophonic equivalent from another language available in the classroom. For vocabulary and translation classes the mis-match between lexical concepts in languages the students are familiar with can be exploited to help students deal with that concept in English. Student experience of multiple language-based identities can be used in the cross-cultural communication classroom can provide a stepping stone to interacting across different languages and cultures.

Keywords

multilingualism, comparative analysis, language concept

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References

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one example is Ellen Bialystok, 2016. “Reshaping the Mind: The Benefits of Bilingualism.” Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology/Revue Canadienne de Psychologie Expérimentale 65 (4) (Dec 2-11): 229–35. Accessed March 14.

Suresh Canagarajah, 2007. “Lingua Franca English, Multilingual Communities, and Language Acquisition.” The Modern Language Journal 91: 925.

Ingrid Mathew. 1998. “Errors in Pronunciation of Consonants by Indonesian, Gayo and Acehnese Learners of English as a Foreign Language.” Master of Arts (Applied LInguistics), Perth: Edith Cowan University. 68.