Unit Code: LAN703
Unit Title: Multilingualism
This unit explores how multilingual countries and communities design and implement language policies, and the major factors at play when increasing the number of languages used in a school system.
The unit has three main learning objectives: develop foundational concepts related to language in education policies, apply them critically to specific contexts, and develop research and writing skills necessary for policy and practice work. The unit will serve as an introduction to vocabulary and topics related to language policy development and implementation. This will be done through exploring individual cases of systems around the world attempting to include multiple languages in a formal school system. Attention will be paid to the policy implementation cycle from policy design to implementation. Throughout the unit, students will be engaged in a project focused on one region or country to analyze its specific sociolinguistic and structural context, and apply concepts learned in class. This unit is designed for students interested in language and literacy acquisition, and international education policy. There are no pre-requisites for this course, and there will be opportunities to learn and grow for students with a range of different backgrounds.