Students' insights into the multilingual dailiness around the world - we bring research closer to those who need to know!
Students of the "Multilearn" Master program at the University of Luxembourg trained how to reflect on real-life situations in an innovative and empowering manner. Examining the 'obvious', they sought to solve practical challenges with the help of metalinguistics (science about the talk about talk). They found exciting topics where metalinguistics helps in the daily life.
As a practical demonstration of their knowledge gained in the interactive course Metalinguistics in Multilingual Social Contexts, the students wrote short blog posts.
We invite you to read their contributions listed below and enjoy the insights they wish to share!
The course was prepared and guided by Veronika Lovrits in the summer semester 2022 and 2023.
Veronika Lovrits, Claudine Kirsch, Valérie Kemp, Potheini Vaiouli, Kenan Starcevic, and Monyck de Sá Santos.
Have you ever caught yourself ascribing a nationality to someone based on the way his/her language sounds? You are clearly not alone. We all have different notions of what a language ideally sounds like. How do these notions come about? Is it possible to minimize or eliminate them?
If you decided to read on, you probably wonder: “Okay, how does this question make any sense?!”. And no worries, you are not wrong, if you said to yourself that “this cannot be right”, right?
A recent master’s project, conducted at the University of Luxembourg, delved into the dynamics of integration within the country’s financial center, exploring its multicultural international bubble. It examined the reasons for relocation, integration experiences, and identity construction. Specifically, the study focused on language choices and their role in shaping narratives of integration within Luxembourg's financial landscape.
Do you know what social scripts are? Did you know they can differ from culture to culture? How do you think they are portrayed in a multilingual setting?
Mother tongue is the language caregivers talk, sing, and teach it to their new-born. We go to school; we learn to read and write, and we refine our mother tongue through hours of study. It is part of our identity and our belonging to the community.
How about living in a country where you have three official languages?
Luxembourg’s linguistic situation is an example of successful multilingualism, Luxembourgish, French and German are the official languages of the country. Other tongues also find their home here, e.g. English in the financial sector and Portuguese, the idiom spoken by the largest foreign community in the nation.
However, it is important to note the relationship between power and languages, its resulting hierarchy, consistently reinforced or contested by residents.
A kick-off for a reshuffling of the language hierarchy has been launched: French and German, who used to dominate the Luxembourgish administrative and educational world are facing the English language, a strong competitor brought on by globalisation and the rise of the internet.
Good communication is central to strong relationships, but what happens when you and your partner speak different languages and come from different cultures? It should come as no surprise that intercultural and multilingual couples have higher divorce rates than couples from the same culture and language. This article will help you think through some of those common cultural and linguistic communication problems.
Only native-speaking teachers can properly teach a language at school.
Have you ever heard of this statement, or do you perhaps believe in it yourself?
Let’s have a closer look at the related research.
“Kids these days are so lazy, right?” Heard this before? Well, you’d be surprised to hear how many generations we’ve been parroting this same line.
Monolingual expats often struggle to learn the language of their host country, particularly if it’s not required in day-to-day interactions. This article will explain why you should make the effort to learn the local language, as well as how it will improve your life abroad.
Ce ne sont que les locuteurs natifs qui savent correctement enseigner une langue à l’école. Est-ce que cette affirmation vous est familière ou, peut-être, en êtes-vous-même convaincus ? Regardons de plus près ce que la recherche nous dit à propos de ce sujet.
