Multiculturalism and Multilingualism

Catalog description

GE-Social Science/Human Diversity Have you ever wondered why adults seem to have such a hard time learning a second language? Do you question why you can’t roll your r’s after years of studying Spanish? Can someone be bilingual but not bicultural, or vice versa? This course answers these questions and many others, providing a comprehensive introduction to the phenomenon of using two or more languages in daily life. Our goal is to not only understand what it means to be bilingual/multilingual, but also to better understand and interact with our bilingual/multilingual friends, business associates, coworkers, students, and other non-monolinguals. We will use research from applied linguistics, cognitive psychology, sociolinguistics, and anthropology to examine the following key topics: defining and measuring bilingualism/multilingualism second language acquisition, language use and choice, bilingual/multilingual literacy, language identity, bilingual education, and cognitive and social effects of bilingualism/multilingualism. Prerequisite: ENGL 15000 or EPP 15000 with a C or better. Cross-listed: SPA 25000 .