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ABSTRACT
The study proposes that Critical Multilingual Language Awareness (CMLA) can be deployed as a productive theoretical construct for scholarly activism in a country such as Pakistan where multilingualism and linguistic diversity have historically been seen as problems than assets in education. We illustrate that such activism can transform orientations and deconstruct myths/misconceptions about bi/multilingual/plurilingual education as research suggests greater public glorification of the dominant languages such as English and Urdu vis-à-vis native languages. Given the subtractive linguistic ecology, this paper explores how prevailing orientations about native languages can be neutralized and positively transformed. The study suggests how scholars/researchers or activists can create 'ideological and implementational spaces' [Hornberger, N. H. (2003). Continua of biliteracy: An ecological framework for educational policy, research, and practice in multilingual settings. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters; Hornberger, N. H. (2016). Researching the continua of biliteracy. In K. King, Y.-J. Lai, & S. May (Eds.), Research methods in language and education (pp. 1–18). Cham: Springer International] for multiple languages, literacies, and identities in classroom, community, and society. The participants were students of Bilingualism course enrolled for MPhil program in a public sector university in Pakistan. Data were analyzed through the constructs of critical applied linguistics and Critical Multilingual Language Awareness (CMLA) [García, O. (2017). Critical multilingual language awareness and teacher education. In J. Cenoz, D. Gorter, & S. May (Eds.), Language awareness and multilingualism (pp. 263–280). Cham: Springer International Publishing]. The study shows that lack of critical awareness and education primarily causes disinterest in bi/multilingual/plurilingual. Findings suggest that exposure to critical scholarship, and sensitization about the value of bi/multilingual/plurilingual education and linguistic/cultural diversity can create spaces, and impact significant theoretical, ideological/political and implementational transformations.
Notes on contributors
Syed Abdul Manan received his PhD degree in Applied Linguistics from University of Malaya, Malaysia in 2015. His areas of research are general sociolinguistics, language policy & planning, language and education, mother-tongue based bi/multilingual education, bi/multilingualism, linguistic human rights, language endangerment and World Englishes. His PhD research is focused on a critical survey of the English-medium private schools in Pakistan. His research papers and book chapters (co-authored) have recently been published and accepted for publication in various prestigious ISI-indexed journals such as Language and Education, Language Policy, World Englishes, Language Problems and Language Planning, International Journal of Multilingualism, and International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. Maya Khemlani David holds PhD degree in Sociolinguistics. She has been working as a Professor in the Faculty of Languages & Linguistics, University of Malaya, Malaysia. She is currently affiliated with the Humanity Cluster, University of Malaya as a researcher, and works as Honorary Academic Consultant, London College of Clinical Hypnosis. She is a widely published scholar in sociolinguistics and language policy and planning. Liaquat Ali Channa holds PhD degree in Applied Linguistics. He presently serves as Associate Professor in the Department of English, Balochistan University of IT, Engineering & Management Sciences (BUITEMS), Quetta, Pakistan. His research work has been published in prestigious research journals.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.