A.E. Niyazovа1, M.N. Mukatova2
1сandidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Philological faculty, Theory and practice of foreign languages department, L.N.Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana, e-mail: naigul73@mail.ru
2master, Philological faculty, Theory and practice of foreign languages department, L.N.Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana, e-mail: Mazya_95@mail.ru
CONTEMPORERY EDUCATION IN MULTILINGUAL SPACE
The article considers the significance and singularity of multilingual education in contemporary society. Also, a short definition was given for the term “multilingual”. The article is described the importance of multilingual education and creation multilingual space for students in modern life, also regarded the influence such space for students, their language abilities.
Key words: Multilinguism, multilingual education, multilingual space.
INTRODUCTION
The twenty-first century is the century of new glabal changes in the sphere of education, technology, science, economics, politics. In general, humanity changed outlook on many life values. One of the important factors in the field of education is to train students at the highest level, not only from the point of professional activity, but also broaden their horizons in many other areas of activity.
Today, modern society denotes that the status of foreign languages are increased. Language education is assessed as necessity and worth by the state, society and individual person. Linguistic diversity and diversity of cultures are an integral part of the world cultural heritage and the basis of intercultural social interaction in any multicultural and multilingual space.
MAIN PART
Nowadays, exist a number of tasks that they are in the process of creating the best specialists in every business. One of the task is the formation of foreign speech activity in conditions of united multilingual space. The purpose is to expand the knowledge of foreign language students both theoretical and practical. Formation of foreign speech activity in conditions of united multilingual space helps to determine the significance of multilingual learning:
— focus on the cognition of the individual picture of the whole picture of the world,
— need to obtain information according to individual needs,
— the possibility of obtaining continuous education and self-education throughout life, which in turn creates additional chances of competing in the general European and global specialist market.
In this regard, the motivation of students in studying not only the English language, but also other foreign languages and cultures are growing. After all, the polylogue of cultures is a key category that corresponds to the spirit of the times, a category of linking a person to everyone and everything.
Multilinguism is not only the ability to speak several languages, it is also a special type of thinking that absorbs the cultural values of several civilizations, thinking open to the polylogue.
Multilingualism is a concept widely spread in the vast multi-ethnic geographical space. The situation in Kazakhstan shows this concept. Nowadays, Kazakhstan has approximately 130 nationalities. A part of people Slavic origin mostly speaks only one language, and majority of Kazak people are bilingual. Multilingualism is wide spread among Dungan, Tatar, Uighur, Azerbaijani, Uzbek, Tajik, Turkish, and other ethnic groups. In Chechen, Korean, German fellowship, multilingualism is also common phenomenon. Owning to that government started to pay attention to the knowledge of multiple languages, multilingualism is growing among the Kazakhs, too. According to the 1989 data, in the former Soviet Union, 73 mln people (23.4%) were bilingual; the Russian language was the second language of 61 mln people. A small group of them were multilingual. [1; 56]
Multilingualism is process of using three or more languages in a social relation. Multilingual space requires a generic language; it is reason why international languages are used widely. Besides, the language is trialing globalization. Nowadays, English language is acknowledged as one of the language of globalization. In Kazakhstan, more than one hundred nations and ethnic groups use their ethnic languages in daily life. Formally, the Kazakh and Russian languages are used principally. Today, Kazakhstan has about 18 million people; 65.2% of them are Kazakhs, 21.8% are
Russians and 13% are representatives of other ethnicities. [2; 1]
At present time, most of countries are multilingual. Therefore, bilingualism and multilingualism appearance are prevalent. Kazakhstan is also tempting this global process. One of the major trend of social-economic improvement of nowadays’ Kazakhstan is to improve a milieu where people would speak three or more languages.
After achievement of independence, Kazakhstan has improved a large different area of social, economic and cultural ties with other countries. In order to be efficacious for this relation, the need to communicate multiple languages is increasing every day. It is also significant for supporting the unity and collaboration among people. Multilingual education is contemporary necessity which could assist students to learn the secrets of science and recognize their abilities.
President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev introduced people his idea about using three languages in 2006 in his speech at the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan. In his 2007 annual address themed «New Kazakhstan in a New World», the President suggested gradual realization of the «Trinity of languages» cultural project. In the country, Kazakh language is the state language, Russian language is the language of interethnic communication, and English language serves for integration of our country into the world economy and global society. Besides, in his address to Kazakh people “Building the future together” in 2011, Nursultan Nazarbaev said that he always said that knowing three languages was important for the success of every Kazakh people. [3; 6]
By decree №110 dated 29 June, 2011, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan endorsed the state program on the applying and improvement of languages in the Republic of Kazakhstan for the years 2011-2020. This program purposes to enlarge the number of citizens who speak three languages (Kazakh, Russian, and English) at the following ratio: up to 10% by 2014; 12% by 2017; and 15% by 2020. The basic purpose of this program is to support an efficacious language policy that will keep the languages of all ethnic groups living in Kazakhstan.
In the context of globalization, the require knowing English is undoubted. Nowadays, knowledge of English language is significant in continuing education. The young generation will lead the country to the future. The system of education is the basic social institution that impacts the development of young generation as a competitive professional. Consequently, the education institution is the major organ responsible for the realization of the “Trinity of languages” policy in cardinal and qualitative terms.
For the realization of multilingual education, we should decide a variety of problems, such as the study of international experience in multilingual education; the personnel training and their availability; availability of material resources, and etc. Until we do not find the right answer to these problems, the realization of the program will appear a different number of difficulties.
The state program on the improvement and applying of languages in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2011- 2020 consists of 3 stages:
1) 2011 – 2013; 2) 2014 – 2016; 3) 2017 – 2020.
According to this stages people’s level of Kazak language should raise about: 20% by 2014,
80% by 2017, and 95% by 2020; And Russian language: 90% by 2020, English language: 20% by 2020.[4; 2]
As we know, each thing has advantages and disadvantages. Mackey William considered this issue and defined positive, negative sides of multilingual education for students. She divided advantages of multilingual education into 5 sections. They are: linguistic creativity, communication advantages, cultural advantages, cognitive advantages and curriculum advantages.
Linguistic creativity has 5 parts itself.
a) Students are leavened by other culture. They start to think in different ways, as
multicultural person. They will know other culture very well, understand them and feel them better. Also, they will acquaint with new thoughts. And thoughts and ways of thinking depend on history, life values, necessities, way of service of people.
b) Multilingual students can build bridges of new relationship between different countries and people. Relationship between people means to be translator, in order to help two people create dialogue and they understand each other.
c) Also it has economic advantages.
d) Student will have flexible and divergent thinking.
e) The self –identity of students will be affected. [5; 154] Communication advantages:
It means that bilingual people can communicate with community, international links and extended family. Also they may become as bridge builders between various languages.
Cultural advantages:
In this case, will be broader enculturation, in other words deep multiculturalism and will appear three or more languages worlds of experiences. It means that in the recent future people will be more tolerant for difference and diversity and will be less racists. But, before, it will be scientifically tested.
Cognitive advantages:
A result of “creative thinking or divergent thinking” test shows that multilingual people get score higher than other people, who speak in one language. That is multilingual people think more creatively, freely and elaborately.
Curriculum advantages divide into 3:
1) Increase of curriculums.
2) Multilingual people learn different languages easier and faster than monolingual people 3) Multilingualism helps to learn a fourth or fifth language. [6; 79] And disadvantages of multilingual education:
1) Confusion
One of the main problem of multilingualism. Keeping track a lot of different languages in mind may be reason of confuse words of one language with another. Especially, when, they are similar.
2) Possible lack of proficiency
Although, it is a rare possibility, we can obtain native fluency in multiple languages. It is difficult to accomplish. Multilingualism may be a reason of lack high levels of proficiency in some languages, whereas we could have learned a fourth language to native proficiency instead. For a lot, it is not disadvantage. If we need to be conversationally adept. It is fine. If we are planning to travel extensively, move to another country, translate documents, study, it can become a very large issue.
3) Time
The largest disadvantage of multilingualism is the amount of time, it takes to accomplish. Learn a new language can take approximately 2 years. It is to reach an advanced level of understanding, it is not as native speaker level. Some researchers say that in order to achieve native fluency needs 7 – 8 years. If you are live in that country, work or study and the language which you are learning language everywhere. Perhaps, in such case, it will be enough time to get fluency.
Nowadays, most of Kazak people’s opinions distinguish about education in multilingual space and about trilingual policy.
1. Some of them say that children should learn Kazakh language till 13 years old. After, they can start to learn other languages. Because they think that children do not speak fluently no one languages without basic language.
2. And others are opposite opinion. They say that children should learn different languages from kindergarten, because children learn languages easier and faster while they are small.
In higher education institutions of Kazakhstan, leading its activities towards the development of multilingual education, a growing number of professional disciplines, including informatics, computer engineering and software, mathematics, physics, information system, mass media, trade and others, are all taught in multilingual academic groups in English
For purposeful and successful development of multilingualism in a higher educational institution, it is need to take into account some negative effects that might arise during organization of the multilingual education.
These involves:
— The spontaneous creation of multilingual education in higher education institutions
— A weak normative-legal data system of these centers,
— Absence or poor facilities and equipment of the higher higher education institution, unable to provide a complete educational-methodological activity of the centers,
— The lack of a precise program, concept and rules of the centers development and clear view of the planned results of the students and the criteria for their evaluation,
— Growth of spontaneous innovative experiments,
— Educational institutional arbitrary apply foreign training programs and materials without their correlation with domestic terms of foreign language teaching through the lack of common methodological platform for continuing and successive-variation foreign language education and its unified standard support, and etc.
Moreover, the issues related to language and culture, structure of the programs shouldn’t be laid aside. Among other problems of the initial phrase of multilingualism introduction in higher educational institutions are:
— Different level of language proficiency of students,
— Their lack of confidence in the study of special subjects in ta foreign language, — Their a lack of competence, knowledge of teachers in specifically-oriented English.
Promising educational objectives of higher educational institution, which assign primary importance to the multilingualism development are:
— Establishment of university centers of multilingual education, organization of the gradual introduction of multilingual education in special subject of natural-scientific, engineering-technical, humanitarian-pedagogical directions,
— Gradual formation of multilingual academic groups
— Improvement of skills and proficiency of the teaching staff and students of the university in 3 languages in equal level for simultaneous apply in the learning process.
— Organization of free language courses for future multilingual teachers
— Organization of the purposeful teaching of teachers abroad,
— Organization of academic mobility for exchange of experience of the teaching staff the university according to the “Trinity of languages” projects,
— Effrorts to attract international scholars, professionals, teachers and representatives of foreign companies operating in the region, to give lectures and conduct practical classes in multilingual groups,
— Assignment of foreign language teachers as advisors in the multilingual study directions of the university,
— Adoption of the newest pedagogical and information technologies of foreign languages teaching,
— Stocking of the library funds and electronic base of multilingual educational,
methodological, scientific, reference, also other literature and multimedia materials,
— Organization of joint creation of textbooks and teaching aids with foreign partners,
— Development of the integrated education programs, preparation of teaching materials for special subject taught in multilingual groups and etc.,
— The study of foreign experience in multilingual education,
— Making up programs of elective course, optional, subjects of multilingual direction,
— Use of the possibilities of the distance learning technologies,
— Enhancement of interactive telecommunications, creation the Web-side [7;139].
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, we approve that multilingualism is the necessity of the contemporary world. We value the trinity of languages as the phenomenon strategically important for our independent country. In order to fit necessity of society, we should speak in Kazakh, Russian and English languages and it is significant part of today’s life.
The formation of a communicative competence in another language means the realization of not only educational goals, but also educational ones aimed at enhancing the culturological potential of students, improving their moral and moral qualities, forming respectful and tolerant attitude to the spiritual and material values of other countries and peoples, developing the ability to understand representatives of another culture. Foreign language in this context means that forming multicultural world view of the individual. Achievement of educational goals contributes to broadening the outlook of students, raising the level of their general culture and education, as well as a culture of thinking, communication and speech.
The formation of foreign speech activity in the conditions of united multilingual space will provide a great leap forward with qualified specialists and help the development of the state in different spheres of life activity, as the specialists will be able to freely exchange experiences, the working conditions will change for the better, as people will be able to open their potentials purposefully.
REFERENCE
1 The explanatory dictionary of linguistics. – Almaty. 2005. p 56
2 Khassanuly,B. “The state language: the Society and Youth. – Almaty, 2013. – Р. 1.
3 Nazarbaev. N. A. “ Building the Future Together”/ Address of the President of Republic of Kazakhstan to the People of Kazakhstan. – Astana, 2011. – Р. 6.
4 Nazarbaev. N. A. The state program on development of education in the Republic of Kazakhstan for the years 2011-2020. – Astana, 2013. – Р. 2.
5 Mackey William F. The description of bilingualism. Journal of the Canadian Linguistic Association. 1957. – 154 р.
6 Cummins. J. Language, power and pedagogy. Bilingual Children in the Crosfire. Clevedon: Multilingual Matter. 2000. – 79 р.
7 Sadybekova, S.I. Introduction of multilingual education in institutions of higher education in Kazakhstan: problems and prospects / S.I. Sadybekova // Lifelong Learning: Continuous
Education for Sustainable Development : proc. Of the 11th int. conf., Minsk, September, 27–28, 2013 / Minsk Institute of Management; arr. V.V. Hedranovich; sci. ed. V.V. Hedranovich and N.V. Susha. – Minsk, 2013. – Vol. 11. – Pt. III. – С. 137–140.
А.Е. Ниязова1, М.Н. Мукатова2
Заманауи көп тілдік кеңестікте білім беру
1,2 Г.Н. Гумилев атындағы Еуразия ұлттық университеті
Астана, Қазақстан
Мақаланың басты мақсаты қазіргі заманауи өмірде және Қазақстанда көптілдік кеңестікте білім берудің маңыздылығын анықтау. Сонымен қатар, көптеген сұрақтарды қарастыру. Олар: көптілдік оқытусыз кезінде пайда болған мәселелер, көптілдік оқытуды білім жүйесіне енгізу барысында студентер қандай қиыншылықтарға тап болатынын, оларға тигізетін әссері мен жалпы білім беру жүйесіне. Мақаланың авторлары көптілдік кеңестікте білім берідің жағымды және жағымсыз жақтарын анықтады. Мақала ғылыми стильде жазылған және «Заманауи көп тілдік кеңестікте білім беру» тақырыбын жақсы сипаттаған.
А.Е. Ниязова1, М.Н. Мукатова2
Образование в современном многоязычном пространстве
1,2 Евразийский национальный университет им. Г.Н. Гумилева Астана, Казахстан
Цель данной статьи – определить важностность мультилингвального образования в современном мире и в Республике Казахстан. Также автор попытался рассмотреть ряд проблем, которые существуют без мультилингвального обучения, и при внедрении мультилингвального обучения в образовательную систему. В статье показано с какими трудностями могут столкнуться студенты, и в целом образовательная система. Авторы статьи смогли хорошо определить положительные и негативные стороны данного образования и описать данный процесс. Статья написанна в научном стиле и хорошо описывает данную тему «Современное образование в мультиливальном пространстве».