MULTILINGUALISM IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAGE EDUCATION

Abstract

The article examines the phenomenon of multilingualism in the educational context, for which a distinction is made among related concepts: “bilingualism”, “plurilingualism”, “multilingualism”, “polyglotism”, and “diglossia”. The essence of “internal multilingualism” and “external multilingualism”, according to researcher M. Vandruzhka, is indicated. Individual, social, territorial, and institutional types of multilingualism are analysed. Symmetrical and asymmetrical degrees of language acquisition, its simultaneous or alternate methods, and natural or artificial (institutional) conditions for language mastery are considered. The problem of linguogenocide is noted as the disappearance of certain languages from the linguistic map of the world as a result of language policies of certain states. The following types of bilingualism, in the classifications of various researchers, are analysed: balanced, dominant, early, late, active, passive, spontaneous, cultural, coordinative, subordinate, voluntary, forced, circumstantial, and volitional. The phenomenon of diglossia is discussed. The following situations of multilingualism are indicated depending on historical circumstances: the existence of several state languages in one country; the coexistence of several ethnic languages with the dominance of one in everyday communication; the coexistence of a state language with ethnic languages; and emigrant multilingualism. Possible negative and positive language scenarios in a multilingual society are considered. The language policy of the European Union in education is examined, in particular the idea of “three languages” and methodology of teaching non-linguistic disciplines through a foreign language, in the context of the possibility of their implementation in Ukraine within the framework of its European integration processes, taking into account the peculiarities of the language situation in the country.