Теория языка | Филологический аспект №11 (43) Ноябрь, 2018

Possibilities of mechanisms of bilingual education for the formation of trilingualism

Maryshkina Taissiya Vladimirovna
Master of Arts, Lecturer at the Department of Theory and Practice of Translation, Buketov Karaganda State University, taisiya.maryshkina@inbox.ru
Kalizhanova Anna Nikolaevna
Lecturer at the Department of Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication, Bolashak Academy, annaanna1802@gmail.com

Abstract: The authors of the article consider bilingualism and mechanisms for the development of bilingualism in terms of their applicability to the policy of trilingualism in Kazakhstan. The article provides links to existing international experience in the use of CLIL in bilingual and monolingual countries. Mainly, the article considers the probability of the establishment of trilinguaism among citizens under the influence of the CLIL. The authors conclude that CLIL alone is not enough for the development of trilingualism among Kazakhstan citizens, and that other social factors and motivations should be implemented.
Keywords: bilingualism, CLIL, trilingualism, English as a Second Language, Kazakhstan

Agitation is increasing around the theme of the new Kazakhstani language policy of trilingualism, which implies the steady development of Kazakh, Russian, and English languages among Kazakhstani people. New language policy in Kazakhstan is one of the processes required for integration of Kazakhstan into the world community. Issues of language development in Kazakhstan were always under the control and care of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.A. Nazarbayev, who continually drives attention towards the development of education, culture, and knowledge of languages in his annual messages to the population of the country. The policy of trilingualism does not cause forgetting the native language but, alternatively, sets the Kazakh language to the first place and increases the integration of the English language. However, such a government initiative to introduce trilingualism in schools split the society: some people welcomed this idea, whereas others took it negatively.

At present, foreign languages are becoming one of the main factors of both economic and general cultural progress of society. Modern studies in the field of language indicate that multilingualism is inevitable. Globalization and the international cooperation open the borders to the expansion of the language range in each country. Regarding the labor market, employers are increasingly asking for fluency in three languages, and potential investors are most often set up primarily for convenient communication when all parties are fluent in English: statistically, 85% of companies hold their conferences and business negotiations in English.

Kazakhstani universities supported multilingualism as a guarantee of integration taking various measures such as introducing a foreign language in their educational process. However, an attempt to preserve a linguistic diversity in Kazakhstan involves, firstly, creating conditions for teaching the native language of ethnic groups, living in this country. So educational and methodological assistance as well as attracting experienced native-speaking teachers with their international experience and modern technologies in teaching native languages are highly required.

Such a large-scale project within the framework of a whole country implies enormous expenses and tremendous opportunities: necessity to update the entire system and content of education, to conduct sociological, psychological, and philological research, to issue new textbooks, and, most importantly, to prepare the teachers for the new multilingual system. The transition to trilingualism should not only move science and economics forward but also develop the citizens’ intellect. The question of whether such a forced imposition of languages will help make the citizens of a country genuinely multilingual or at least bilingual arises. Senate Deputy of the Parliament of Kazakhstan Sergey Yershov expressed doubts about the effectiveness of spending 6.9 billion tenges on English courses for teachers during the discussion of the draft law "On guaranteed transfer from the National Fund of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2018-2020" at a plenary session of the chamber, held on November 16, 2017 [5].

The problem of implementation of multilingualism in the state lies not only in the financial and methodological field but also in the general language situation of Kazakhstan. As Z.K. Akhmetzhanov noted, a variety of types of bi- and polylingualism have arisen in Kazakhstan, and they differ in the regions of distribution, the coverage of different areas of language functioning, the specifics of the influence of the first language on the second. B.Kh. Khasanov identifies 126 types of bilingualism, consisting of 125 national and Russian languages, about two dozen Russian-national and national-Kazakh bilingualism, at least ten types of national-bilingualism, as well as trilingualism, represented by the trinity of Kazakh, Russian, and social components. [4, p.93]. Thus, the knowledge of two languages is not new for Kazakhstan. Moreover, the presence of three languages in the life of schoolchildren will help them learn three languages and become bilingual or even trilingual still stay doubtful.

An attempt to make an entire nationality multilingual evokes the question of how and under what circumstances people naturally become bilinguals. According to Colin Baker, the various overlapping causes why children or adults acquire a second or third language relate to ideological, international, and individual headings [1, p.110].

Such a theory implies mainly well-known drivers of second-language acquisition such as harmonious development or difficult position of the second language regarding integrating minority language groups; the desire of people to participate in the world’s common market or merely travel around the Globe [1, p.110-113]. Different countries represent a different field of development of bilingualism. For example, the complicated situation in Canada leads to an intense confrontation between French and English. In India, for instance, an overpopulated low-income country, heavily influenced by the west, learning English is self-evident for the inhabitants. Singapore, one of the most developed world traders, in turn, recognizes four official languages.

The information access always motivates people for cognitive development and second or even third language learning. However, all these circumstances can address only the internal motivation of students; the inner desire encourages the latter to learn a second language and use it. Moving to the context of mastering a second language, Colin Baker opposes formal language learning contexts to informal language acquisition contexts [1, p.113]. In the book Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, he said that informal context features a subconscious character of acquisition of a second language as a tool of communication but not an aim [1, p.113].

Conversely, learning in a formal context drives the language at the first place, and it is taught purposefully with reliance on conscious process and knowledge [1, p.113]. Thus, an informal context can trace the natural way of learning a second language when impetus to daily communication helps people acquire the language. In other words, interlocutors around the person such as family, friends and information flow contribute to the language acquisition by providing constant language environment for the principal amount of time and form the auspicious learning situation.

The trilingual policy of Kazakhstan aims at providing school children with an opportunity of learning a language alongside learning a subject. CLIL or integrated learning in content and language or integrated learning in the subject language, the essence of which is that children study the school subjects in a foreign language, has entered 1^st, 2^nd, 5^th, and 7^th grades of Kazakhstani schools. CLIL program has two global goals: an adequate level of study of the subject in school through a foreign language as well as an in-depth study of a foreign language through the subjects taught. Such an approach combines explaining to students the following subjects, such as chemistry, mathematics, geography, biology, natural science, classical literature, computer science, economics, art history, philosophy, in their native and learned languages in one continuous process.

At first glance, CLIL, as well as other forms of bilingualism and immersion programs, have many standard features; however, differences prevail similarities here. According to Coyle, Hood, and Marsh [2], the planned pedagogic integration of contextualized content, cognition, communication, and culture into teaching and learning practice' separates CLIL from some established approaches such as content-based language learning, or forms of bilingual education. The theory of bilingualism, established by Baker, states that a bilingual person should master certain aspects of second language acquisition: ability, culture, context, age, use, elective bilingualism, and balance of two languages [1, p.25]. CLIL programme provides the development of all the aspects but concerns if it is possible to achieve the latter only by the mean of the school programme. If the goal is to learn language and study biology at the same time, not only levels of complicity should correspond to students' age and level but also the process ought to remind of building a plane during the flight.

The standard and a fair statement on the need to learn a language by full exposure must not overlook the fact that a class situation is always an artificial environment. Every day, after school, children come back to their families where they speak only in their mother tongue. Such five CLIL aspects as cultural, social aspects, educational process, communication and subject itself transfer into a tedious hometask and the need of learning new information as well as a new way of speaking burden school-children.

Another problem is a typical low level of the second-language acquisition among the students, which leads not only to an increased burden on students but also to some psychological problems associated with formidable learning of the subject material. In weak groups, learning through the second language can aggravate the process of mastering the subject and worsen the quality of learning.

Elena Garayzábal in her article How Far From the Premise; a Meta-Analysis and Critical Appraisal of Literature on Content and Language Integrated Learning shares her research on the subject of CLIL effectiveness in Spain [3]. According to her article, in Spain, in schools, where enrollment in classes under the CLIL program is voluntary, most students are already quite prosperous and gifted. Most of the CLIL program participants have a favorable background; their parents are either well-off or belong to the elite that has a higher education. Thus, children who show considerable progress in studying a subject in a foreign language belong to the group of purposeful and robust schoolchildren [3, pp.66-67]. Contrary to the common belief about students who study in the second language as those who acquire the language and knowledge of the subject on a higher level, Elena Garayzábal doubts whether it does not influence their parents that develops all the outstanding features of students, long before the bilingual programme.

A study, conducted in Indonesia in 2017, attempted to identify the concept of bilinguals through the seven Baker’s dimensions mentioned previously. The study involved two bilinguals with entirely different backgrounds, asked about the manifestations of their seven criteria for bilingualism. Although both were bilingual, their second language skills such as writing, cultural awareness, and the age of second-language acquisition were significantly different. The external environment and the fact whether they needed to use the second and first language for communication and work had a more significant impact on the subjects [3, p.29-40]

All considered information reveal the bilingualism as a person’s knowledge of two languages, possession of them at least at the everyday level and the use of one of these languages, depending on the situation. Becoming bilingual is possible only with constant contact with the language and its use on a regular basis. The language policy of Kazakhstan and the state language in government service are so far limited to the use of CLIL in secondary and higher educational institutions. However, in the first stage of the introduction of this policy, the efforts made will not be enough to lead citizens to bilingualism or trilingualism. The presence of all three languages in the life of citizens should be constant and daily, starting from an early age, so that the process of mastering the three languages goes smoothly through all social strata evenly, and the children use these languages at the proper level during the educational process. The development of trilingualism should include not only teaching methods but also the social infrastructure that would maintain contact with the languages, studied on an ongoing basis by newspapers, radio programs, sessions in cinemas, and kindergartens.

1. Baker, C. (2011). Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books/about/Foundations_of_Bilingual_Education_and_B.html?id=fEt5VKBIMSsC
2. Coyle, D., Hood, P., Marsh, D. Content and Language Integrated Learning. Cambridge University Press, 2010.
3. Tabari, F., Heinze, E.G., & Sampaio, A. (2018). How Far from the Premise; a Meta-Analysis and Critical Appraisal of Literature on Content and Language Integrated Learning. Retrieved from https://oapub.org/edu/index.php/ejfl/article/view/1983, pp. 60-102.
4. Abdigazi, S.Kh. Bilingualism as a specific case of multilingualism in Kazakhstan. JSRP. 2014. No. 4(8). URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/o-bilingvizme-kak-chastnom-sluchae-mnogoyazychiya-v-kazahstane (accessed: October 20, 2018).
5. Kazantseva, O. (2018). Trilingualism: Byword or Real Project? Retrieved October 20, 2018, from http://iq.expert/last-news/?ELEMENT_ID=446