Plurilingualism refers to individuals with communication skills in multiple languages, while multilingualism refers to areas with multiple languages used. Plurilingualism can ease strained intercultural relations and is increasing due to exposure to more languages. It does not require full proficiency in multiple languages. Arguments against plurilingualism focus on limited skills and accusations of being unpatriotic.
“Plurilingualism” is a term used to discuss situations where a person has communication skills in more than one language. Conversely, a multilingual area might have multiple languages used, but individual speakers might still be monolingual. While a person could be said to be plurilingual, this distinction between the two terms makes more sense when speaking of places and communities of speakers. Colloquially, people use the term “multilingual” to address the idea of speaking more than the language, but “plurilingual” is generally considered a more accurate term.
In general, most people find multilingualism more attractive than multilingualism. When speakers of different languages can communicate, they are often more likely to interact and form a strong society together. Linguistic divisions can be very powerful and can make people prone to remain in highly isolated cultural groups even when they live in close proximity. Encouraging language exchange between different cultural groups can ease strained intercultural relations.
How plurilingual contexts develop varies, but usually involves contact between more than one culture. In some cases, however, bilingualism may be standard for an area and the bilingual community may have its own distinct culture. Linguistic competence is usually accompanied by cultural competence, because effective communication involves more than just words. This is sometimes called pluricultural competence.
Many people believe that plurilingualism is increasing due to increased exposure to more languages both through school and through social change. It is extremely common for people to have at least some degree of proficiency in foreign languages and multilingualism is increasingly the norm in societies. This reflects not only increased multiculturalism but also a willingness to accept multiple cultures as members of one nation.
An interesting aspect of plurilingualism is that it does not require full proficiency in more than one language. An area where people speak small amounts of foreign languages could be said to be plurilingual. For example, in areas close to international borders, people often learn their own country’s language and achieve some level of proficiency in the neighboring language. Practical conversation in these contexts may require nothing more than basic vocabulary and sentence structures.
Arguments against plurilingualism often focus on issues with limited skills, not fully bilingual citizens. People who fail to master the national language of the area they live in are often accused of being unpatriotic. For some people, living in a multilingual society is inherently unpatriotic, resulting in a reluctance to provide services in other languages. This sometimes results in very tense relationships between cultures that can be passed down through the generations.
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