The multiple realities of multilingualism : personal narratives and researchers' perspectives / edited by Elka Todeva, Jasone Cenoz.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Todeva, Elka, 1954-

Cenoz, Jasone.

Series:

Trends in applied linguistics ; 3.

Trends in applied linguistics ; 3

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Multilingualism--Psychological aspects.

Multilingualism.

Psycholinguistics.

Second language acquisition.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (314 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Mouton de Gruyter, 2009.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This book is the very first collection of first-person language learning narratives that offers rich introspective data on the various processes and forces shaping the development and maintenance of multiple languages (seven and more) in a single individual. The writers are twelve multilinguals who have been influenced by quite different contextual factors and who have learned a wide range and combination of dialects and languages from both similar and very different linguistic families. The combinations explored in the narratives include some lesser-known languages that come from under-researched areas, such as the African continent, certain parts of Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Also unique are two theoretical chapters which analyze the narrative data against the background of language development research findings within several thematic areas: multiple language learning as a complex dynamic system; the influence of bilingualism/multilingualism on the acquisition of additional languages; cross-linguistic influence; and also emotions, motivation, and identity. The aim of this juxtaposition and analysis is to allow a meaningful comparison of the extent to which etic, researcher-generated, and emic, learner-offered perspectives match or diverge, and to identify new questions that the emic data may add to research agendas. The book is an excellent resource not only for researchers but also for teachers as well as for students of language at the graduate and undergraduate level.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Chapter 1 Multilingualism: Emic and etic perspectives / Todeva, Elka / Cenoz, Jasone

Chapter 2 A long, adventurous road to (im)perfection / Popovic, Radmila

Chapter 3 Multilingualism as a kaleidoscopic experience: The mini universes within / Todeva, Elka

Chapter 4 My ways to Rome: Routes to multilingualism / Tappe, Heike M. E.

Chapter 5 Incomplete journeys: A quest for multilingualism / Wildsmith-Cromarty, R.

Chapter 6 The joys and pitfalls of multiple language acquisition: The workings of the mind of a simultaneous multilingual / Kamanga, Chimwemwe Mayinde Mystic

Chapter 7 A life of learning languages / Freedman, Sally

Chapter 8 Linguistic cunning: From Burton to babelfish / Henshaw, Hamzah

Chapter 9 A "new breed" of American? / Kowalski, Charles

Chapter 10 Where art and nature meet / Tonkin, Humphrey

Chapter 11 A multilingual journey from East to West / Hu, Haiyan

Chapter 12 Roots, branches and seeds / O'Flaherty, Neil

Chapter 13 Expanding languages, expanding worlds / Fantini, Alvino E.

Chapter 14 The well and the bucket: The emic and etic perspectives combined / Cenoz, Jasone / Todeva, Elka

Backmatter

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786612715105

9781282715103

1282715100

9783110224481

3110224488

OCLC:

642685792