UWCSEA's Multilingualism Conference: A chance to share, to learn, to inspire
Laurie Kraaijeveld, High School Head of Languages Other than English and School Supported Self-Taught Languages, East Campus
In an international school as culturally and linguistically diverse as UWCSEA, multilingualism is necessarily important. UWCSEA’s commitment to language diversity and supporting mother tongue languages comes not only out of respect for the many cultures from which our students originate, but also from best educational practice. As Head of Dover Campus, Frazer Cairns, has shared in previous writings on the subject, “Modern educational research now sees multilingualism as a potential asset that provides learners with a strategic (and significant) advantage…speakers of multiple languages learn further languages more easily... However, more interestingly, research has suggested that a ‘uniqueness’ exists in the development of multilingual students when compared to their monolingual peers...Speaking multiple languages, it seems, makes you better not just at other languages, but also more creative and better at mathematics, science or history.”
Out of this understanding and commitment, a team of UWCSEA staff endeavoured to gather fellow educators for a conference on the subject. The first UWCSEA Multilingualism Conference took place at UWCSEA’s Centre for International Education on East Campus from 15 to 17 May, with the aims ‘to share, to learn, to inspire.’ Around 100 international educators from Asia, Europe and Africa gathered along with UWCSEA teachers to discuss teaching and learning foreign languages, mother tongue education as well as strategies to support students who are learning through a language other than their first.
Four keynote speakers inspired participants through their impassioned talks to parents and teachers. Ghil’ad Zuckermann, a UWC Adriatic alumnus and Chair of Linguistics and Endangered Languages at the University of Adelaide in Australia, shared his reasons for keeping languages alive as well as some insights gained from his work with revitalising Aboriginal languages in Australia. Alex Rawlings, a 23-year-old Oxford University graduate who won the title of ‘Britain’s most multilingual student’ after demonstrating his speaking skills in 11 languages in a polyglot competition organised by Harper Collins, told participants about his passion for learning languages and reminded teachers of the importance of making languages fun to learn. Ruanni Tupas, a Filipino sociolinguist from the National University of Singapore, presented his theory on variations in English around the world. Lastly, Eithne Gallagher, an experienced ESL teacher and author of Equal Rights to the Curriculum: Many languages, One Message, who supports international schools on their way to developing a multilingual mindset and approach, spoke about ‘interlingual schools’ and her experience of using ‘translanguaging’ in the classroom. ‘Translanguaging’ is an educational approach, which allows students to use their mother tongue in the classroom. Doing so builds on the existing knowledge and skills, which are encoded in the first languages of students who do not have English as a mother tongue.
A key takeaway from the conference is the need for inspiration in teaching and learning languages. Alex Rawlings highlighted the fact that students want to learn skills that they will be able to use in their adult life, such as looking for a flat or speaking in a job interview, and that learning languages should not be regarded as ‘another school subject.’ According to him, learning languages is about knowing oneself as a learner and opening up to others, attributes which align with the ‘self-aware’ quality in the UWCSEA learner profile.
Another significant message is about the importance of genuine communication and practice in learning languages. Whilst the motivation for learning languages is fueled by a need to communicate and interact, learning occurs through work, repetition and continual revision of previous knowledge, not through ‘talent’ or ‘natural ability.’ This is consistent with the UWCSEA learning principles which emphasise interaction and building upon previous knowledge. This also reinforces the UWCSEA ethos of valuing a growth mindset.
Lastly, another crucial learning point which participants took away from the conference relates to school mindsets. A multilingual school mindset was highlighted as a hallmark of a genuine international school. International schools need to be places where the students’ many languages are visible, heard and maintained for academic, personal and social learning purposes, not places where bilingual students are turned into monolingual students through establishing an ‘English only’ climate.
Participants left the conference inspired to make a difference in their schools and classrooms. Reminding students that their languages are a part of who they are, that maintaining their languages will help them with learning other languages, that they should help others who are in linguistic need… these are messages that participants in the Multilingualism Conference will be sharing with their students and colleagues around the world.