IS THERE POLYPHONY ONLY IN MUSIC: PLANNING LANGUAGE EDUCATION IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOCALIZATION

Abstract

Multilingualism in Latvia, as in many other countries, is observable best in a diverse range of linguistic practices: in formal and informal oral communication, in social media, etc. At the same time, this coexistence of codes and registers is increasingly reflected also in formalized educational contexts. Partially replacing the traditional instruction of languages and subjects which took place largely separately (monoglossic ideology), multilingual and multidisciplinary instruction have become more frequent in recent times.

In such contexts, the participants of speech acts apply their plurilingual repertoires, depending on situations. The monoglossic ideology in bilingualism is, in this sense, also contrasted to views “based on Bakhtin’s (1981) use of heteroglossic as multiple voices. A heteroglossic ideology of bilingualism considers multiple language practices in interrelationship” (García 2009: 7). This heteroglossic ideology (see also Blackledge & Creese 2010; De Korne 2012) has also been described as part of processes of translanguaging (Adamson & Fujimoto-Adamson, 2012).

This article discusses these issues in the context of contemporary multilingual pedagogy (e.g., as part of a pluriliteracies approach) and in the context of the ESF project “A Competence-Based Approach to Learning Processes”, conducted by the National Centre for Education of Latvia.