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Chapter 11. On some fashionable terms in multilingualism research

Critical assessment and implications for language policy
  • François Grin
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The Politics of Multilingualism
This chapter is in the book The Politics of Multilingualism

Abstract

This chapter examines, in a critical way, four different notions encountered in certain strands of academic discourse about multilingualism, which have acquired an influential position in some segments of contemporary applied linguistics. The four notions reviewed here are “superdiversity”, “languaging”, “commodification”, and “English as a lingua franca (ELF)”. The argument made in this chapter is that, while each of these concepts is problematic on its own, their combination gives rise to particularly problematic implications for language policy. The policy stances that can be derived from those notions are potentially harmful on allocative and distributive grounds, since they may undermine both linguistic diversity and linguistic justice. This chapter shows why they should be avoided, or at least substantially amended, in order to formulate policy responses aiming at the preservation of a genuine, sustainable and fair multilingualism. While the very use of these four notions raises questions regarding the evolution of applied linguistics, investigating them also matters to social scientists working on language issues, particularly language policy. The reason for this is that social scientists need to rely on sound analytical constructs in order to come to grips with the complexity of language and multilingualism as research objects, and as areas in which actual policies are selected, designed, implemented and evaluated.

Abstract

This chapter examines, in a critical way, four different notions encountered in certain strands of academic discourse about multilingualism, which have acquired an influential position in some segments of contemporary applied linguistics. The four notions reviewed here are “superdiversity”, “languaging”, “commodification”, and “English as a lingua franca (ELF)”. The argument made in this chapter is that, while each of these concepts is problematic on its own, their combination gives rise to particularly problematic implications for language policy. The policy stances that can be derived from those notions are potentially harmful on allocative and distributive grounds, since they may undermine both linguistic diversity and linguistic justice. This chapter shows why they should be avoided, or at least substantially amended, in order to formulate policy responses aiming at the preservation of a genuine, sustainable and fair multilingualism. While the very use of these four notions raises questions regarding the evolution of applied linguistics, investigating them also matters to social scientists working on language issues, particularly language policy. The reason for this is that social scientists need to rely on sound analytical constructs in order to come to grips with the complexity of language and multilingualism as research objects, and as areas in which actual policies are selected, designed, implemented and evaluated.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. List of contributors ix
  5. List of abbreviations xvii
  6. List of figures, tables, charts and pictures xix
  7. Chapter 1. The politics of multilingualism 1
  8. Part I. Reconceptualising multilingualism and collective identity
  9. Chapter 2. The politics of multilingualism in Canada 19
  10. Chapter 3. A Russian-speaking nation? 39
  11. Chapter 4. The impact of mobility and migration on the identity-constructing policy in Brussels 65
  12. Chapter 5. From glossophagic hegemony to multilingual pluralism? 89
  13. Chapter 6. Transient linguistic landscapes of activism 111
  14. Part II. Linguistic hegemony, insecurity and linguistic justice
  15. Chapter 7. How to measure linguistic justice? 145
  16. Chapter 8. Linguistic justice and English as a Lingua Franca 167
  17. Chapter 9. The promise and pitfalls of global English 201
  18. Chapter 10. Languages, norms and power in a globalised context 223
  19. Part III. Lingua Franca and global linguistic governance
  20. Chapter 11. On some fashionable terms in multilingualism research 247
  21. Chapter 12. English, the Lingua Nullius of global hegemony 275
  22. Chapter 13. Idealism or pragmatism? 305
  23. Chapter 14. European integration and the variety of languages 333
  24. Author index 359
  25. Subject index 365
https://doi.org/10.1075/wlp.6.11gri

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. List of contributors ix
  5. List of abbreviations xvii
  6. List of figures, tables, charts and pictures xix
  7. Chapter 1. The politics of multilingualism 1
  8. Part I. Reconceptualising multilingualism and collective identity
  9. Chapter 2. The politics of multilingualism in Canada 19
  10. Chapter 3. A Russian-speaking nation? 39
  11. Chapter 4. The impact of mobility and migration on the identity-constructing policy in Brussels 65
  12. Chapter 5. From glossophagic hegemony to multilingual pluralism? 89
  13. Chapter 6. Transient linguistic landscapes of activism 111
  14. Part II. Linguistic hegemony, insecurity and linguistic justice
  15. Chapter 7. How to measure linguistic justice? 145
  16. Chapter 8. Linguistic justice and English as a Lingua Franca 167
  17. Chapter 9. The promise and pitfalls of global English 201
  18. Chapter 10. Languages, norms and power in a globalised context 223
  19. Part III. Lingua Franca and global linguistic governance
  20. Chapter 11. On some fashionable terms in multilingualism research 247
  21. Chapter 12. English, the Lingua Nullius of global hegemony 275
  22. Chapter 13. Idealism or pragmatism? 305
  23. Chapter 14. European integration and the variety of languages 333
  24. Author index 359
  25. Subject index 365
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