ABSTRACT

This paper sets out to develop a finer-grained understanding of the ‘plurilingual social actor’ within an Anglophone higher educational setting. Drawing on data collected as part of The Multilingual University project, I examine how a group of plurilingual postgraduate students taking modules in applied linguistics at a university in London viewed their linguistic repertoires as a resource for the taught curriculum and what their experiences can tell us about the plurilingual social actor. The study opened an institutional space for making linguistic diversity visible and for considering how it was a resource for the curriculum. The findings indicate that multilingual resources play an important role in supporting learning at postgraduate level and reveal ways in which familiarity with English medium education shapes how postgraduate students mobilise their multilingual resources in relation to the taught curriculum. Importantly, the study shows how the plurilingual social actor offers a dynamic, powerful and affirmative identity position that is well aligned with the teaching and learning agenda in higher education. It is my contention that a better understanding of this alignment will allow us to raise awareness of language-as-resource and advance plurilingual pedagogies in the sector.

摘要

本文着手对英语高等教育环境中的“多元社会参与者”进行更深入的了解。利用作为“多语言大学”项目一部分收集的数据，我研究了一群在伦敦大学学习应用语言学的多元语言研究生如何将他们的语言库作为教学课程的资源以及他们的经验可以告诉我们的多元的社会角色。该研究为揭示语言多样性以及考虑如何将其作为课程资源开辟了体制空间。研究结果表明，多语种资源在支持研究生学习方面发挥着重要作用，并揭示了对英语中等教育的熟悉程度如何影响研究生如何调动其与所教课程相关的多语种资源。重要的是，该研究表明，多元社会参与者如何提供动态，有力和肯定的身份地位，从而与高等教育的教学议程保持一致。我的观点是，对这种一致性的更好理解将使我们能够提高对语言资源的认识，并推进该领域的多元教学法。强大而肯定的身份地位，与高等教育的教学议程非常吻合。我的观点是，对这种一致性的更好理解将使我们能够提高对语言资源的认识，并推进该领域的多元教学法。强大而肯定的身份地位，与高等教育的教学议程非常吻合。我的观点是，对这种一致性的更好理解将使我们能够提高对语言资源的认识，并推进该领域的多元教学法。