Reframing foreign language learning as bilingual education: epistemological changes towards the emergent bilingual

ABSTRACT

In many environments in which foreign languages (FL) are taught, the emergent bilingual status of FL learners is often overlooked. The dominant monolingual language pedagogies of conventional FL classrooms do not fundamentally recognise the natural interaction of the first language (L1) and second language (L2) in the learners’ minds. Although the L1 and L2 are both often employed in the FL classroom, their use is kept separate with erroneous connotations that L1 use can have negative impacts on FL learning. Consequently, very rarely is FL learning considered within the realms of bilingual education, nor has the emergent bilingual status of FL learners been recognised as a result. This paper attempts to redefine the parameters of emergent bilingualism to include FL learners in their own right. Grounded in the frameworks of multi-competence and translanguaging, this paper provides further insights into the importance of acknowledging learners of an FL as the emergent bilinguals that they are, and brings awareness about the need for an epistemological change in this mindset surrounding FL education.

KEYWORDS:

• Bilingual
• emergent bilingual
• foreign language education
• bilingual education
• foreign language learner
• bilingualism

Notes on contributor

Blake Turnbull is currently undertaking his Ph.D. thesis in Foreign Language Acquisition and Education at Kyoto University, Japan. His research interests include second language education, ESL/EFL, Japanese EFL education, bilingual education, translanguaging, multilingualism, and teacher education and training.