Cover not available
Article published In:
Multilingualism and Mobility in the Twenty-First Century: New Trajectories and Possibilities in Migration Linguistics
Edited by Ariane Macalinga Borlongan and Lisa Lim
[AILA Review 37:1] 2024
► pp. 35–53
Concept

Multilingual mindset

A necessary concept for fostering inclusive multilingualism in migrant societies

ORCID logo | Macquarie University

In this paper, I examine the changing currency of languages in the context of migration and mobility based on case studies of Filipino migrants in Australia. Drawing on two sociolinguistic studies conducted with and for Filipino migrants, I highlight how the “monolingual mindset” (Clyne, 2008) reinforced by the “White-English complex” (Piller, Torsh, & Smith-Khan, 2023) negatively impact on the value and currency of Philippine languages. As an alternative, I offer the concept multilingual mindset as an inclusive framework for valuing multilingual migrants in the diaspora.

I first introduce the linguistic ecology and national language policies of both the Philippines and Australia to set the scene for my argument. I then map out the migration trends in both countries and the simultaneous socio-political events that have driven the growth of Filipino migration in Australia and introduce the two sociolinguistic studies with and for (Blackledge, 2006; Tetteh, 2015) Filipino migrants. This is followed by the presentation and critical discussion of three key conceptual arguments of this paper derived from these studies. Employing the “monolingual mindset” (Clyne, 2008) and “White-English complex” (Piller et al., 2023) as lenses, I then critically discuss how these concepts are detrimental to heritage language maintenance and inclusive multilingualism and argue that the maintenance of migrant languages in the diaspora would best be facilitated by an adoption of a multilingual mindset. The paper concludes with a discussion on the significance of the multilingual mindset to sociolinguistic studies and migration linguistics (Borlongan, 2023), in general, and to language attitudes, language practices, and language policies across different sectors, in particular.

Keywords: monolingual mindset, multilingual mindset, White-English complex, Filipino migrants, Australian diaspora, migration linguistics
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Migration trends and two sociolinguistic studies in the Australian diaspora
  • 3.Three monolingual phenomena
    • Other-silencing of LOTEs
    • Self-silencing of LOTEs
    • Erasure of LOTEs
  • 4.Discussion: Through the lenses of “monolingual mindset” versus “the multilingual mindset”
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 7 June 2024
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/aila.23023.lis
References
Asis, M. M. B.
(2006) ‘The Philippines’ culture of migration’. Migratio11 Policy fostit11te Blog. Retrieved from [URL]
Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS]
(2023) Permanent migrants in Australia. Retrieved from [URL]
Barratt, L.
(2018) “Monolingual Bias.” In The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching: Vol. NNESTs, edited by J. I. Liontas. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [URL]. DOI logo
Bautista, M. L.
(1996) An outline: The national language and the language of instruction . In M. L. S. Bautista (Ed.), Readings in Philippine Sociolinguistics (pp. 223–227). Manila: De La Salle University Press.Google Scholar
Blackledge, A.
(2006) The Magical Frontier between the Dominant and the Dominated: Sociolinguistics and Social Justice in a Multilingual World. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 27 (1), 22–41. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Bernardo, A. B. I.
(2004) McKinley’s questionable bequest: Over 100 years of English in Philippine education. World Englishes, 23 (1). 17–31. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Borlongan, A. M.
(2023) Migration linguistics. AILA Review, 36 (1). 38–63. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Canagarajah, S.
(2009) The Plurilingual Tradition and the English Language in South Asia. AILA Review, 22 1(2009):5–22. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2103) Translingual Practice: Global Englishes and Cosmopolitan Relations. Oxon: Routledge.Google Scholar
Clyne, M.
(2008) The monolingual mindset as an impediment to the development of plurilingual potential in Australia. Sociolinguistic Studies, 2 (3). 347–366. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2005) Australia’s Language Potential. Sydney: UNSW Press.Google Scholar
Cruickshank, K., Lo Bianco, J. & Wahlin, M.
(Eds.) (2024) Community and heritage Languages schools transforming education: research, challenges, and teaching practices. New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Ethnologue: Languages of the World
(2023) Philippines. Retrieved from [URL]
Fukui, M. & S. N. Pham
(Producers) (2019 November 9). Is Australia ready for the multilingual mindset? [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from [URL]
Gonzalez, A.
(1998) The language planning situation in the Philippines. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 19 (5): 487–525. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(1996) Philippine English. In M. L. S. Bautista (Ed.), Readings in Philippine Sociolinguistics (pp. 88–92). Manila: De La Salle University Press.Google Scholar
Grover, V. L.
(2023) From monolingual mindset to plurilingual ethos: challenging perspectives on language(s). Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 44 :8, 751–764. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kanaki, A.
(2017) ‘Multilingual Mindset’: A New Perspective for Student Transition in Higher Education. Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 5 (2), 109–111. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kohler, M.
(2017) Review of language education policies in Australia. Multicultural Education and Languages Committee: Government of South Australia.Google Scholar
Lising, L.
In press). Global English in multilingual Philippines: language practices in government communications. In P. Siemund, G. Stein, G. and M. Vida-Mannl Eds. Global English in its multilingual ecologies John Benjamins
(2022) “I want her to be able to think in English”: challenges to heritage language Maintenance in a monolingual society. Multilingua, 41 (5), 549–569. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2021a) Speak English!: Social acceleration and language learning in the workplace. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 26 (10), 1183–1196. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2021b) Susmaryosep!: Lexical evidence of cultural influence in Philippine English. In K. Burridge & P. Peters (Eds.), Exploring the ecology of world Englishes: language, society, and culture. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.Google Scholar
(2019) Philippine languages in multilingual Sydney. In A. Chik, P. Benson & R. Moloney (Eds.), Multilingual Sydney (pp. 205–211). Oxon: Routledge.Google Scholar
Lising, L., and Bautista, M. L.
(2022) A tale of language ownership and identity in a multilingual society: Revisiting functional nativeness. Journal of English and Applied Linguistics, 1 (1), 1–14. [URL]. DOI logo
Lo Bianco, J.
(2010) The importance of language policies and multilingualism for Cultural diversity. International Social Science Journal, 61 (199), 37–67. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(1990) Making language policy: Australia’s experience. In R. B. Baldauf Jr. & A. Luke (Eds.), Language Planning and Education in Australasia and the South Pacific (pp. 1–22). Philadelphia: Clevedon.Google Scholar
(1987) National Policy on Languages. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service.Google Scholar
Makoni, S., and A. Pennycook
(Eds) (2007) Disinventing and Reconstituting Languages. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
Martin, I. P.
(Ed.) (2018) Reconceptualizing English Education in a Multilingual Society: English in the Philippines. Singapore: Springer. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Martin-Jones, M., A. Blackledge, and A. Creese
(2012) “Introduction: A Sociolinguistics of Multilingualism for Our Times.” In M. Martin-Jones, A. Blackledge, & A. Creese (Eds.). The Routledge Handbook of Multilingualism (pp. 1–26). Oxon: Routledge.Google Scholar
Mence, V., Gangell, S., & Tebb, R.
(2017) A History of the Department of Immigration: Managing Migration to Australia. Commonwealth of Australia.Google Scholar
Motaghi-Tabari, S.
(2016) Bidirectional language learning in migrant families. Sydney, Australia: Macquarie University.Google Scholar
Native Archives of Australia (NSA)
(2023) Dispossession and revival of Indigenous languages. Retrieved from [URL]
Norton, M.
(2018) Five on 5: Constructing the multilingual mindset. Retrieved from [URL]
Pedersen, R.
(2023 July 14). Monolingual vs multilingual: The key to communications that will resonate with Australians today. [Blog post]. Retrieved from [URL]
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)
(2022) Ethnicity, language/Dialect Generally spoken at home. Retrieved from [URL]
Piller, I., Torsh, H., & Smith-Khan, L.
(2023) Securing the borders of English and Whiteness. Ethnicities, 23 (5), 706–725. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Piller, I.
(2016) Linguistic diversity and social justice: An introduction to applied sociolinguistics. New York: Oxford University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Piller, I. & Lising, L.
(2014) Language, employment, and settlement: Temporary meat workers in Australia. Multilingua 33 (1–2). 35–39. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Scarino, A.
(2014) Situating the challenges in current languages education policy in Australia – unlearning monolingualism. International Journal of Multilingualism 11 (3). 289–306. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Scott, W. H.
(1984) Prehistoric Source Materials for the Study of Philippine History. Quezon City: New Day Publishers.Google Scholar
Tetteh, V. W.
(2015) Language, education, and settlement: A sociolinguistic ethnography on, with, and for Africans in Australia. (PhD). Macquarie University, Sydney. Retrieved from [URL]
Tupas, Ruanni
2015 Inequalities of multilingualism: challenges to mother tongue-based multilingual education. Language and Education 29 (2): 112–124. DOI logoGoogle Scholar