Answer to Question #200710 in English for Emmanuel Egbuagha

Question

Discuss the topic that multilingualism should be used in education in order to enhance educational development, improve pass rates and promote diversity.

Answer 1

Multilingualism is the use of more than one language for communication by a speaker or group of people. Multilingualism is key in enhancing educational development in the sense that,

1. The knowledge of an indigenous language is believed to provide an access to a vast reservoir of wisdom, expertise, knowledge and skills. This individual has the ability to synthesize knowledge and express it accordingly.
2. Bilingualism also allows for communication with people in both personal and professional contexts. It is believed that the vast amount of knowledge an individual possesses is often accessible through language.
3. Monolingualism on the other hand is viewed as a barrier or restricted for communication, (fixity of reference). Furthermore, a monolingual is regarded as one who is still in the process of language development and acquisition and thus should be taught other languages to effect communication. Bilingualism should therefore be used in education to enhance educational development.