Essay on A Reflection on Plurilingualism

This article discusses the classroom experience in Colombia that the students learning as social beings when they focused on learning English as a foreign language. However, there is a focus on the English-learning tasks that student learns based on their own culture as well as other people’s cultures. In the article, the author discusses his use of the social-justice approach.

The author suggested the sharing of knowledge of students regarding cultural and linguistic backgrounds. In this way, there could be a shift to a more dynamic approach in learning the language rather than using the paradigm shift from monolithic frameworks (Ortega, 2019).

There are two main perceptions which present a frame of this article, which are: a). plurilingualism, which underlines the knowledge of utilizing languages with a purpose to create definition is no longer a new perception due to the Indigenous societies whole over the world have been speaking with this style for eras, b). translanguaging refers to recognize the integration of language in the daily lives of human beings as a standard of living, as well as enduring and ever-changing practices of our necessary communications with one another.

The author argues in this article that both plurilingualism and also translanguaging are the concepts or ideas which create spaces to allow the learners to speak with their language collections. Even though this would not appear in a vacuity, however, the formation could result from the daily practices that the speakers' effort, which is quite sociohistorical in its nature.

On the other hand, these types of practices are not definite or direct from the attitudes or beliefs of persons who communicate in multilingual terms, and who have gained various experiences in their lives. From this point, the author makes a conclusion that both plurilingualism and also translanguaging are the ideological methods for language to train and authorize whether bilingual or multilingual speakers who aim to issue the monolingual main pattern, as well as to fight back the tendency that some researchers would have to learn languages as prevailing in the inaccessible silos.

Finally, the author suggests that there is a vital requirement to observe both linguistic and cultural diversity of the learners not as impairments to study the languages, instead, as the resources of cultural-capital that they convey from their home to their schools. If there is a proper understanding of this view, then it would be a significant opportunity for our societies to grow their intellectual capital dramatically, and also adopting the new students' generation who would act as agents of social modifications.

Reference of  A Reflection on Plurilingualism

Ortega, Y. (2019). Teacher,¿ Puedo Hablar en Español?” A Reflection on Plurilingualism and Translanguaging Practices in EFL. Profile Issues in TeachersProfessional Development, 21(2), 155-170.