Perspectives on bi/multilingual pedagogies: insights from a third-year linguistics module at a South African university

Abstract

There is a growing body of work which illustrates the need for and advantages of bi/multilingual education in South Africa. In recent years, academics have noted that bi/multilingual learning materials and assessments can be used to provide students, in both schools and higher education institutions, with a more nuanced understanding of academic content. The present study therefore seeks to contribute to the current literature surrounding bi/multilingual education in higher education institutions in South Africa. Drawing on the notions of language ideologies, translanguaging and critical language awareness, the study explores the use of bi/multilingual pedagogies by third year linguistics lecturers and their students at a selected university in the Western Cape in South Africa. A qualitative case study was conducted at a selected South African university. The study employed ethnographic tools such as observation and semi-structured interviews to gain an understanding of the lecturers’ and students’ perceptions surrounding bi/multilingual pedagogies. Furthermore, the study explores both oral and written instances of bi/multilingualism within the module. The study identified four main goals associated with bi/multilingual pedagogies in the module under study, namely, for identity investment and positionality, to promote cross linguistic transfer and metalinguistic awareness, to deepen understanding and develop new knowledge, and finally to encourage critical language awareness. Additionally, findings suggest that there are discrepancies between the lecture and tutorial spaces.