Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Nr. 10
Tdor Erika Mria
ANALYTICAL ASPECTS
OF INSTITUTIONAL BILINGUALISM
REPERELE ANALITICE ALE
BILINGVISMULUI INSTITUIONAL
INSTITUTUL PENTRU
STUDIEREA PROBLEMELOR
MINORITILOR NAIONALE
Cluj-Napoca, 2008
Guvernul Romniei nu i asum coninutul Studiilor de Atelier. Lucrrile sunt elaborate i asumate n exclusivitate de ISPMN.
Tdor Erika Mria PhD is a senior lecturer at Sapientia University in Miercurea Ciuc, Faculty of Human
Sciences. Her research subjects are related to bi(multi)lingualism, language pedagogy, educational
policy, teaching methods of Romanian as non-native language.
e-mail: todor.erika@yahoo.com
Dr. Tdor Erika Mria este lector universitar la Universitatea Sapientia din Miercurea Ciuc, Catedra
de tiine Umane. Domeniile ei de cercetare sunt: bi(multi)lingvismul, pedagogia limbii, politici
educaionale, didactica predrii limbii romne ca nematern.
e-mail: todor.erika@yahoo.com
Abstract
The present study deals with institutional bilingualism in the context of school structures in Romania
where the language of teaching is different from Romanian.
The conclusions of the paper show a few possible directions to follow in the context of conceiving
an educational policy in which the linguistic alterity represents a natural element to be taken into
consideration when considering the qualitative aspects of organisational structures.
Studiul de fa prezint datele i concluziile unui demers investigativ centrat asupra factorilor care
coacioneaz n constituirea bilingvismului asimetric, n contextul achiziiei limbii romne din colile
cu limba de predare maghiar. Constatrile prezentate pot constitui tipare structurante ale proiectrii
modelelor educaionale direcionate de logica inter- i multiculturalitii.
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Contents / Cuprins
Analytical aspects of institutional bilingualism 5
Introduction 5
Controlling discourses as reflected in the school-life practice 5
From school-life practice to its research 6
Institutional bilingualism and its forms 8
General presentation of the research 8
Language learning and school instructions 9
Formal instructions and language learning 9
Closer environment and glottological experiences of students 10
Further environment and individual glottological experiences 11
Imagining the future and motivations for learning Romanian 12
Conclusions 15
Reperele analitice ale bilingvismului instituional 17
Preambul 17
Reflectarea discursurilor de reglare n praxisul vieii colare 17
De la practica vieii colare la cercetarea ei 18
Bilingvismul instituional i formele sale 20
Prezentarea general a cercetrii 20
nvarea limbilor i instrucia colar 21
Instrucia formal i nvarea limbilor 21
Mediul apropiat i experienele glotologice ale elevului 22
Mediul deprtat i experienele glotologice ale individului 23
Imaginea de viitor i motivaia nvrii limbii romne 25
Concluzii 27
References / Bibibliografie 28
ANALYTICAL ASPECTS OF
INSTITUTIONAL BILINGUALISM
Introduction
Heterogeneity of cultures conserved and expressed through the implicit worlds of languages represents characteristic of our times. This reality requires from a 21st century society to develop the ability to creatively co-exist with otherness. Although societies tend to become multicultural, educational
systems usually remain adapted to mono-cultural situations.
The present study intends to describe the main subcomponents of the formation of bilingualism.
My analysis targets a group of pupils from the Romanian educational system, who study at schools in
minority teaching language (5.28% of undergraduate education institutes). The study also gives special
attention to Hungarian schools, 88.9% within the total number of units and sections in minority languages in 20042005. (Source: www. edu.ro).
First, the summarizing part of this paper contains a mosaic of results and conclusions from various researches from the subjects. These serve as theoretical premises for a quantitative and qualitative
description of the subcomponents of asymmetrical institutional bilingualism. I also offer a theoretical
framework for scholars dealing with problems of institutional bilingualism.
The Swot analysis was carried out with the contribution of Romanian language and literature teachers, participants of
Bolyai Academy in 2007, 2008.
Observations of the respondents
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2
3
4
5
6
7
opinion that this latter term is capable for denoting the linguistic and educational realities specific for
the 11.25% of undergraduate educational institutions, where sections, institutions with minority teaching language exist. (Murvai 2000). In my view such a collocation implicitly states that minority pupils
have different acquisition mechanisms than majority students, concerning the Romanian language. Albeit, such a terminology includes a negation from a structural point of view, one still second its using,
not because of its perfectness but its semantic advantages as it denotes otherness more forcefully
instead of creating a hierarchy between languages.
As the case of our educational subjects is special, their communicative competence require specialized denotations, such as bilingual competence (Gncz 2004) or multilingual competence (Cook
1995). Due to the complexity of such phenomena, even basic notions like mother tongue, bilingualism
are (and ought to be) defined in a more nuanced way, in line with different aspects. Based on Skutnabb-Kangas, (1997) a series of approaching-criteria are now presented: (a) acquisition-period (mother
tongue is firstly acquired, bilingualism means a parallel learning of two languages from the family, right
after birth); (b) communication competence (mother tongue being the well spoken language, while
bilingualism means a command and use of two tongues); (c) language use (mother tongue being the
most frequently used, while bilingualism denotes an alternative usage of two languages); (d) attitudes,
identification (mother tongue means the language somebody identifies him/herself with and is identified through; a bilingual person is somebody who considers him/ herself or is considered to be the user
of two languages).
The structuring elements of the meaning we attribute to bilingualism denote the holistic perspective on bilingual, bi-cultural persons. Such an approach differs from Bloomfields (1993): in his view
bilingualism is for a person, who uses two different language registers in a similar way with the level
of his/her mother tongue. A totalizing reinterpretation of such a concept is twitted to Grosjean (see
Grosjean 1982, 1998; also seconded for instance by Navracsics researches, Navracsics 2000, 2007), and
starts with a perception of the self as an autonomous, whole personality, for whom quantitative and
qualitative acquisition of language depends on its functions from an efficient verbal channel. In such a
perspective a bilingual (multilingual) person cannot be described by a sum of two monolingual conditions as he has a bilingual existence (Grosjean 1998). Such a status represents a speaker-hearer
able to activate and manifest through two (or more) distinct language registers, up to existential and
communicational contexts. Thus a bilingual (multilingual) person can be researched or examined neither using instruments we rely on when measuring monolingual conditions, nor through a comparison
with monolingual persons performance. The production of speech acts for bilingual persons is different
from the speakers of the same language (Navracsics 2007). Researches in the field show a co-existence
between the two spoken language-elements in such a bilingual persons mental dictionary. Such elements do not vanish, not even at the moment of choosing and activating a linguistic code from a given
communicational context. It is also proved that bilingual persons activate different affective heritages
in decisions of producing language acts in different codes (Pavlenko 2005). Bilingualism in an interpretative framework ought to be understood as similar to biculturalism, impossible to be reduced to a
synthesis of two persons with two different cultures. It is rather an existence, able to know and thus
to integrate through a personal filter specificities of two cultures, hereby creating a personalized
culture.
Language learning/acquisition is another key-concept for heuristic approaches. As we state, acquisition of lexical information, norms and rules represents only one content-component of such a complex
process. Beyond the dimension of a declarative knowledge (to know), we also find here an indispensable procedural (to know how to) and contextual or pragmatic knowledge (knowing where, when, why).
In other terms language acquisition means cognition and inter-cognition, term coined by Wittgenstein
(1995), to highlight that a language-command is not exclusively a linguistic problem, but that of cognition through integration, through understanding extant cultural forms by which the Other is defined.
Consequently, to assimilate a language implies beyond the level of knowledge, understanding, and
communication competence also a stratum of cultural communication (Tdor 2005b: 25); such a cultural level refer to the receptivity towards a reality articulated by language types of the Other. In other
words, such a cultural dimension implies a type of learning, which follows the logic of diversity and
multiculturalism. Otherness here represents a natural element of existence, translated by the intellectual endeavor of discovering the Others monolingualism (Le monolinguisme de lautre, a suggestive
metaphor used by Derrida 1996) in parallel with an auto-definition of ones own identity. From this perspective, language command means its use as if it were a native one. By as if, we do not refer to the idea
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of performance identical with monolinguals (which would be contradictory to the holistic approach
and principle of complementarity draft by Grosjean) but especially the ways of approaching a language
different from mother tongue, at a relation-type (international ability) letting the speaker to express
(and thus re-find) him/herself in spite of otherness.
(a) it follows an in-depth study of a certain type of bilingualism according to Horvths conceptualization (Horvth 2005: 174): the active and the passive one with a Hungarian language dominance and (b)
investigative approach proposed for this presentation is guided by psycho-linguistic principles and also
of educational management.
1. 8%
11. 2%
Native-level
Advanced level
32. 4%
Average level
B as ic level
No command
50. 4%
As language acquisition is unified at this school level (same curricula, alternative textbooks) regardless of language status, the decrease in students expectations, demands and knowledge looks for an
earlier pedagogical solution.
Items on etiology of the language command-level reveal some explanations showed by the picture
above. In order to offer an interpretative approach, comparative data referring to Romanian and English
language are presented.
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60%
53%
50%
45%
38%
40%
34%
30%
32%
30% 31%
R OM
27%
23%
20%
53%
E NG
18%
10%
4%
0%
Difficult
language
F ew clas s es
Les s ons
unhelpful for
language
acquisition
No partners
to excise
with
Insufficient
learning
No ears for
language
Significant tendencies are to be observed here: lack of motivation to learn both languages, lack
of possibilities to exercise them, less possibility for language acquisition. Whereas formal instruction
(classes) would be a diminishing factor for English language, in case of Romanian there exists a higher
necessity for spontaneous learning (instead of organized occasions).
Self-estimations of respondents (presented in Figure 1.) were reported to their school grades from
the previous term: surprisingly there is a moderate correlation (0.36) between grades in Romanian and
respondents self-estimation on their language command. For English a small, insignificant correlation
(0.20) is to be traced between school grades and self-estimations. A moderate dependence exists between self-estimations of the two languages, and a significant correlation between grades at Romanian
and English. Without a claim for docimological analysis not representing a question for our study
problematising the referential domain of grades seems to be natural. What do these convey? At a first
sight, at the level of reading the results, it shows the diminished relevance of grades in revealing communicative competence; but such a phenomenon requires further research.
English
(father)
38%
41%
14%
4.7%
1.1%
English
(child)
11.1%
54.1%
30.5%
4.3%
0.0%
German
(mother)
58.4%
31.5%
7.5%
2.5%
0.0%
German
(father)
53.8%
30.1%
12.2%
3.2%
0.7%
German
(child)
26.5%
48.7%
22.2%
1.8%
.0.7%
Fathers present a more significant flexibility than mothers concerning foreign language acquisition.
A qualitative, general inter-generational change is also traced here, for children, who have a better command (true, according to a subjective self-classification) of foreign languages compared to their parents.
Fathers, too have a better command of Romanian than their spouses, but parents level of Romanian is
higher than the self-estimations of their children regarding the same issue.
10
Figure nr. 3.
Romanian language command in the closer linguistic
environment
9.4%
10.5%
53.4%
26.7%
Mother
Native-level
15.2%
19.1% 3.6%
61.7%
Advanced level
Father
Average level
Basic level
11.2%
50.4%
32.4%
No command
4.3%
Child
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
When discussing the strength of correlation between the above-mentioned categories, the influence of
mothers has to be revealed: although they have a worse command compared to that of the fathers, they still
have a more significant influence or contribution in language acquisition in general, and especially in learning
Romanian. Values of correlation coefficients also show the significant impact of language command of the
family members in motivating their children. Complexity in forming communicative competences also has to
be mentioned: an existing correlation between the command of Romanian and foreign languages is due to a
series of factors, such as individual learning strategies, ears for language, etc. In our view, the above-mentioned
empirical data ought to represent a starting point for projecting orientations in language learning.
4.3%
16.8%
S ports
19.0%
Clubs
39.4%
Polic e
14.0%
Physic ian
Game hall
6.1%
20.1%
R elatives
33.3%
Friends
16.8%
Neighbors
39.8%
Travelling
42.7%
Other regions
S hopping
0,0%
53.4%
10,0%
20,0%
30,0%
40,0%
50,0%
60,0%
11
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There are various everyday contexts for activating Romanian language registers, traveling and
events connected to it, as well as shopping being the most frequent among them. Talking with friends
and usual conversations specific to certain age-group-locations (clubs, sports, etc.) also show a significant frequency in language use. Inventory of such contexts implies at least two directions of acting: the
projection of language assimilation to ensure a success for the verbal channel, exploitation of such situations in organized school-practices (named by Rivers 1983 as realistic learning situations).
I also consider that situations of using Romanian also imply a familiarity with reading. In order to show
relevance in data collection, a comparative presentation of reading in Romanian and English follows.
Table nr. 2: Reading habits
I usually read
novels
short literary texts
newspapers
magazines for young
sport reviews
web sites
In Romanian
19%
28%
27%
27%
10%
15%
In English
2%
8%
3%
5%
2%
31%
It is maybe the influence of school requirements that makes respondents to express in a significant
percent their habit of reading fiction, especially short literary texts in Romanian, forerunning the reading of newspapers and magazines (27% within the total).
Such a habit remains hidden in case of English, where browsing remains the most frequent. Many
everyday contacts are offered by e-communication and short messages, issue represented by the following item. In this case a contextual activity of different linguistic registers can be considered. The
prevailingly language of messaging is the native one (55%) and Romanian (32%), whereas decisions for
using English is 5%. For chatting, mother tongue is mostly used (59%), while 13% of respondents prefer
Romanian, 13% uses English and 14% both languages. While surfing and searching on the net, the native tongue is most often used (40%), English in 35%, Romanian less often, 14%. Such an activation of
different language registers related to language functions reveals a manifestation through the principle
of complementarity coined by Grosjean (1998b), as a specificity of communicative situation, functions
of language acts require a certain linguistic framework.
12
Figure nr. 5.
W hic h of the follow ing la ngua ge s c om m a nd
do you c ons ide r im por ta nt
for your pe r s ona l s uc c e s s ?
E NG
GE R
HU
R OM
70,0%
60,0%
50,0%
40,0%
30,0%
20,0%
10,0%
0,0%
1
Regarding modal value of ranking the three possibilities (firstly chosen language also denotes the
highest importance from all the choices aspect also clarified in the instructions of the questionnaire) shows a different configuration. Language considered by the highest number of respondents
to be the most indispensable in near future is English (2.45), followed by Hungarian (1.31), Romanian
(1.26) and German (0.74). Such a configuration ought to be approached in its dynamism, as individual
experiences, acquisitions have been supposed to be permanently restructured during ontogenetic
evolution. Certainly such a picture of languages represents a type of relation to the actual language
environments specificities of the respondents. Thus comparing such a configuration with approaches
to individuals languages from heterogeneous and prevailingly Romanian language environments becomes significant. Such an attitudinal picture requires clarification in the motivational typology seconding language learning in general and, especially learning of Romanian.
Figure nr. 6.
90%
80%
70%
68%
56%
60%
50%
40%
33%
23%
30%
20%
10%
18%
7%
Interest
Teacher
Information
Important
Communication
Language of
the state
Exam
Needing it
0%
Answering the question Why do you find necessary learning Romanian? respondents reveal two types
of motivation: a social (necessary for acceptance, recognition, integration) and a psychological one
(need for success, for intellectual formation, access to information). Up to the frequencies of chosen
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1%
Social
integration in a
different country
Professional
integration
Undergraduate/
postgraduate
studies
0%
Everyday
communication
Language used
in traveling
6% 4%
Language of
the state
international
language
3%
Rejecting
communication
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
L
imba englez
English
As Figure 7 shows, there are two determining factors for using Romanian: the social-interpersonal
and the professional one. In the respondents future plans Romanian is meant to be an everyday and administrative problem-solving instrument and also a tool for grounding inter-personal relations; whereas
Romanian is a condition for efficient professional self-realization. A command of English permits individual mobility and like Romanian offers a condition for socio-professional achievements. Using Romanian also reveals a motivation for competences (according to White 1963 in: JohnsonJohnson 1985)
namely a mobilization guided by a desire and need to approach the environment efficiently. According
to Gardner (1985), there is an integrative motivation base, as mobiles for learning are guided by an immanent need for consensus, for grounding relations.
In line with Dewey who claims school to represent everyday life, and existing social values to be a
simplified, an embryonic stage of society, in order not to become a prison for the mind we consider
that taking into account the main subcomponents of institutional bilingualism is a condition sine qua
non of democratic educational management.
14
Conclusions
Without pretending to write an exhaustive study, the present paper discloses some contexts determining bi(multi)lingual existence. Reshaping such a reality based on empirical data may contribute to
the grounding of univocal terminology, meaning to denote psycho-social approaches and ones for designing Romanian language-learning as a non-native tongue. The study starts with the assumption of
asymmetries of institutional bilingualism and follows the configuration of structural factors in case of
pupils from mostly monolingual areas, who study in Hungarian minority schools. Conclusion reveals the
contrast between self-evaluation of pupils concerning their command of Romanian and their school
grades on it. Superiority of the fathers regarding foreign language command, and especially that of
Romanian is also highlighted, as well as the impact of mothers in guiding language learning. Forms of
language use is various for our subjects, who read journals, newspapers and short stories in Romanian,
but they search the net for English and Hungarian contents. Besides English and their native tongue, Romanian is also defined as basis for social and professional self-realization for the students future plans.
Certainly, such an approach structures motivations for language learning. The conclusions of this study
can help planning educational models guided by inter-, and multicultural logic.
15
*
8
Analiza Swot s-a realizat prin contribuia profesorilor de limba romn, participani la Academia Bolyai n 2007,
2008.
Observaii ale respondenilor.
17
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percepia lor, oportunitile sistemului care ar presupune o restrucurare creativ ar fi de ordin macro-managerial (reducerea programei, predarea limbii romne ca limba modern, nu ca matern9 ), respectiv
al monitorizrii actelor de nvare (crearea posibilitilor de comunicare n timpul orelor i n activiti
extracolare, prin filme, teatre, tabere, etc; folosirea metodelor interactive, nvarea prin jocuri didactice, folosirea materialelor didactice interesante10). Dimensiunea defectuoas a procesului este mult mai
nuanat prezentat. Se desemneaz printre punctele slabe aspecte ale proiectrii procesului de nvare
(neconcordana dintre cerinele programei i limbajul cotidian, program ncrcat, prea mult teoretizat,
rupt de realitate, dificultatea de a utiliza constant metode active11), i sunt semnalate insuccesele outputului procesului care vizeaz, pe de o parte, performanele subiecilor educaionali (elevii ajung s comunice
la nivelul enunurilor simple, elevii nu nva s comunice n limba de romn cotidian12), iar, pe de alt
parte, dimensiunea atitudinal-motivaional a nvrii (lipsa motivaiei, atitudinea negativ a elevilor, cauze
sociale13). Ameninrile viitorului apropiat, n concepia respondenilor, l constituie n primul rnd scderea
interesului fa de nvare (scderea intresului fa de nvare, lectur14), nmulirea surselor informaionale
(internetul, canalele tv), deformarea limbii, datorit limbajului nengrijit, criza valoric (ex: modelele lingvistice, manelele, pierderea tradiiilor, obiceiurilor specifice diverselor etnii), i achiziia ei n aceast form.
Acest tablou ne relev multidimensionalitatea transpunerii oarecum personalizate a nivelului macro
la cel al monitorizrii procesului achiziional la nivel micro, dar i varietatea rolurilor pe care profesorul de
limb trebuie s ndeplineasc, mai ales n contextul special al bilingvismului predominant instituional.
Conform orientrii macrostructurale, n sistemul de nvmnt din Romnia elevii aparinnd minoritilor naionale pot studia n structuri de nvmnt cu predare n limba matern sau pot studia n limba romn
prin nvarea paralel a limbii materne, accesul la nvtur fiind asigurat prin Lege (Legea nvmntului n
vigoare, art. 5 i art. 8.), care prefigureaz, n acelai timp, obligativitatea nvrii limbii oficiale a statului.
Stabilirea unui consens creativ dintre cadrul i oferta de nvare, respectiv ceriele societii, i nevoile, caracteristicile individului reprezint una din problemele cheie ale bilingvismului instituional, a
cror ncercare de soluionare implic att un consens transdisciplinar, ct i unul comunicaional, cci
n contextul proiectrii politicilor educaionale atribuirea de sens trebuie s capete semnificaii apropiate sau similare att n discursurile majoritii, ct i n cele ale minoritii.
9
10
11
12
13
14
18
nale (Murvai 2000). Considerm c aceast sintagm accentueaz implicit ideea c mecanismele nsuirii
limbii n aceste instituii se realizeaz diferit fa de studiul acesteia ca i limb matern. Dei aceast sintagm din punct de vedere structural include o negaie, optm pentru aceast structur nu din fermitatea
convingerii denotrii perfecte, ci pentru avantajul semantic al termenului al crui referent nu induce o
ierarhizare (a limbilor), ci mai degrab accentueaz alteritatea.
n cazul special al subiecilor educaionali de care vorbim, competena de comunicare se preteaz la
denotri specializate de tipul competen bilingv (Gncz 2004) sau competen multilingv (Cook
1995). Datorit complexitii fenomenelor chiar i conceptele de baz ca limb matern, bilingvism sunt
(i trebuie) definite mult mai nuanat, dup criterii variate. Vom prezenta cteva criterii de abordare a
termenilor, avnd ca punct de plecare descrierea lui Skutnabb-Kangas (1997): (a) perioada nsuirii (prima limb nsuit este cea matern; bilingvismul reprezint achiziia paralel, din familie a dou limbi,
din momentul naterii); (b) competena de comunicare (limba matern, e limba cea mai bine stpnit,
iar bilingvismul const n cunoaterea i utilizarea a dou limbi); (c) uzul limbii (limba matern e limba
cea mai des folosit, iar bilingvismul reprezint utilizarea alternativ a dou limbi); (d) atitudine, mod
de raportare (limba matern e limba cu care o persoan se identific i prin care e identificat; persoana
bilingv e cea care se consider sau este considerat cunosctoare a dou limbi).
Elementul structurant al accepiunii pe care l folosim n cazul conceptului de bilingvism reprezint
caracterul holistic al abordrii personalitii bilingve, biculturale. Aceast abordare difer de accepiunea
dat acestui concept de Bloomfield (1933) conform creia se vorbete de bilingvism cnd individul stpnete dou registre lingvistice la nivelul apropiat de cel al limbii materne. Reinterpretarea totalizatoare
a acestui concept se leag de numele lui Grosjean (vezi Grosjean 1982, 1998, susinut, printre altele, de
cercetrile lui Navracsics 2000, 2007), care pornete de la perceperea Eului ca personalitate autonom
integral n cazul creia dimensiunea calitativ i cantitativ a achiziiei limbii este dependent de funciile
acesteia dintr-o conduit verbal eficient, insertiv. Conform acestei perspective persoana bilingv nu
reprezint o nsumare a dou stri monolingve, ci reprezint o existen bilingv (Grosjean 1998) un
emitor-receptor capabil de a activa i de a se manifesta prin dou (sau mai multe) registre lingvistice diferite, n funcie de contexte existeniale i de comunicare. Astfel, persoana bilingv (multilingv) nu poate
fi cercetat sau examinat cu aceleai instrumente de msurare ca cea monolingv i nici prin comparare
cu performanele persoanelor monolingve. Producerea actelor de vorbire n cazul persoanei bilingve se
realizeaz diferit fa de vorbitorii unei singure limbi (Navracsics 2007). Cercetrile din acest domeniu arat
c n lexiconul mental (Navracsics 2007) al persoanei bilingve coexist elementele celor dou limbi, care
nu dispar nici n momentul alegerii i activrii unui cod lingvistic ntr-o situaie de comunicare dat. Se
arat, de asemenea, c persoanele bilingve activeaz alte moteniri afective n cazul deciziilor pentru producerea actelor lingvistice, n coduri diferite (Pavlenko 2005). n acest cadru interpretativ, fenomenul de bilingvism trebuie neles ca unul asemntor cu biculturalismul, care nu rezid n sinteza a dou persoane
cu dou culturi diferite, ci este vorba de o existen care cunoate i astfel integreaz prin filtrul personal
specificul a dou culturi, instituindu-se astfel o cultur personalizat.
Un alt concept cheie al demersurilor euristice l reprezint acela de nvare a limbii. n abordrile noastre pornim de la premisa c n nvarea unei limbi achiziia de informaii lexicale, de norme
i reguli, reprezint doar una dintre componentele coninutului. Dincolo de dimensiunea cunotinelor
declarative (a ti), considerm indispensabile cunotinele procedurale (a ti cum) i cele contextuale
sau pragmatice (a ti unde, cnd, de ce). Cu alte cuvinte, nsuirea limbii reprezint nvare i inter-cunoatere, termen folosit de Wittgenstein (1995) pentru a accentua ideea c nsuirea limbii nu reprezint
doar o problem lingvistic, ci i una de cunoatere prin integrativitate, prin nelegerea formelor existeniale, culturale definitorii pentru Cellalt. n aceast ordine de idei, asimilarea limbii implic, dincolo
de nivelul cunotinelor, priceperilor, deprinderilor i a competenei de comunicare i un nivel al culturii
comunicaionale (Tdor 2005b: 25), care rezid n receptivitate fa de articularea realitii prin tiparele
lingvistice ale Celuilalt. Cu alte cuvinte, dimensiunea cultural vizeaz un tip de nvare dup logica
diversitii, a multiculturalitii, n care alteritatea reprezint un element firesc al existenei i se traduce
n strdania intelectual de descoperire a monolingvismului Celuilalt /Le monolinguisme de lautre/,
(metafor sugestiv folosit de Derrida 1996) paralel cu autodefinirea propriei identiti.
Privit din aceast perspectiv, cunoaterea unei limbi nseamn utilizarea acesteia ca i cum ar fi cea
matern. Prin acel ca i cum nu ne referim la ideea performanelor identice cu cele ale indivizilor monolingvi (ceea ce ar fi n contradicie cu abordarea holistic i principiul complementaritii, formulate de Grosjean), ct, mai ales la modul de raportare la o limb diferit de cea matern, la un tip de relaionare (abilitate
interacional) n care vorbitorul se poate autoexprima (i implicit regsi) n pofida alteritii acesteia.
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20
2005: 174); iar (b) aprofundarea investigativ propus prezentrii este orientat de principii i finaliti
de ordin psiho-lingvistic i de management al nvrii.
1.8%
11.2%
nivelul limbii materne
32.4%
ni
nivel avansat
nivel mediu
nivel elementar
nu cunosc
50.4%
Avnd n vedere faptul c la acest nivel al colarizrii nvarea limbii i literaturii romne se realizeaz unitar (curriculum comun, manuale alternative) indiferent de statutul limbii, diminuarea discrepanei dintre pretenii, ateptri i cunotinele elevilor presupune un remediu pedagogic (i nu numai) mult mai timpuriu.
Itemul referitor la etiologia nivelului de cunoatere a limbii ne relev urmtoarele explicaii, prezentate n diagrama de mai jos. Ilustrm comparativ datele referitoare la cele dou limbi (limba romn,
limba englez) pentru a oferi un reper interpretativ rezultatelor prezentate.
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53%
45%
38%
40%
34%
32%
30% 31%
27%
30%
ROM
ENG
23%
18%
20%
10%
4%
0%
Limb dificil
Ore puine
Leciile
nu ajut
nsuirea
limbii
Lipsa
Studiu
posibilitilor
insuficient
Nu am simul
limbii
de exersare
Se poate remarca o tendin semnificativ de neglijare, adic de motivare sczut pentru nvare n cazul
ambelor limbi, respectiv absena contextelor de exersare a limbii, drept posibiliti de nvare a lor. n timp ce n
cazul limbii engleze orele (instrucia formal) ar reprezenta un factor ameliorator, n cazul limbii romne se formuleaz cert necesitatea unei ponderi mai semnificative a nvrii spontane (n defavoarea celei organizate).
Rspunsurile autoapreciative ale respondenilor (prezentate n Diagrama nr. 1.) au fost raportate la
notele colare obinute la disciplinele respective din semestrul anterior. Rezultatele ni s-au prut surprinztoare. Se poate constata o corelaie moderat (0,36) dintre notele colare la disciplina limba i literatura
romn i autoaprecierea respondenilor n legtur cu nivelul cunoaterii limbii. n cazul notelor colare la
limba englez se observ o corelaie mic (0,20), nesemnificativ dintre note i aprecierile personale asupra cunoaterii limbii. Exist ns o dependen moderat dintre autoaprecierile de cunoatere a limbilor
romn, respectiv englez i se poate remarca o corelaie semnificativ dintre notele celor dou discipline.
Fr pretenia unei analize docimologice (cci nu aceasta a reprezentat finalitatea studiului) pare fireasc
problematizarea domeniului referenial al notelor. Ce exprim ele? La acest prim nivel de lectur a fenomenului se poate constata c n cazul respondenilor notele colare la disciplinele respective nu ntotdeauna exprim calitatea competenei de comunicare, fenomenul implicnd n mod cert alte investigaii.
22
11,8%
5,0%
0,0%
14,3%
4,7%
1,1%
30,5%
4,3%
0,0%
7,5%
2,5%
0,0%
Limba
german
(tat)
53,8%
30,1%
Limba
german
(copil)
26,5%
48,7%
12,2%
3,2%
0,7%
22,2%
1,8%
0,7%
n privina interesului manifestat pentru asimilarea limbilor strine taii prezint o flexibilitate mai
accentuat dect mamele i se poate constat o schimbare calitativ general n privin copiilor care
cunosc mai bine (evident, marja subiectivismului i spune cuvntul) limbi strine dect prinii lor. Similar cu limbile strine, i n cazul limbii romne se poate observa o stpnire mai sigur a acesteia de
ctre tai, dar se creioneaz o tendin contrar remarcat n cazul limbii strine, i anume, faptul c
(ntr-un mod preponderent) nivelul cunotinelor de limba romn ale prinilor este superior fa de
autoaprecierile formulate de respondeni (copii) n cazul stpnirii acestei limbi.
Diagrama nr. 3.
Cunoaterea limbii romne n mediul lingvistic apropiat
10.5%
53.4%
9.4%
26.7%
mam
nivelul limbii materne
15.2%
19.1% 3.6%
61.7%
nivel avansat
nivel mediu
tat
nivel elementer
11.2%
50.4%
32.4%
4.3%
nu cunosc
copil
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Analiznd dimensiunea corelrii dintre categoriile mai sus prezentate, se poate conchide c n
pofida cunotinelor de limb puin mai reduse a mamelor fa de tai, mamele au o influen mai
semnificativ, o contribuie mai pronunat n nvarea limbilor, n general, i n nvarea limbii
romne, n special. Valorile coeficienilor de corelaie ne indic, de asemenea, c gradul de cunoatere a limbilor de ctre membrii familiei, reprezint un impact semnificativ i n motivarea copilului
pentru nvarea limbilor. Trebuie remarcat, de asemenea, complexitatea formrii competenei de
comunicare, existnd o corelaie semnificativ dintre cunoaterea limbii romne i a limbilor strine, ceea ce se poate datora coaciunii unui cumul de factori, ca: strategii de nvare individual,
simul limbii etc.
Considerm, c datele empirice mai sus prezentate ar trebui s reprezinte puncte de plecare n proiectarea demersurilor de orientare a nvrii limbilor.
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Diagrama nr. 4.
De obice i, unde foloseti limba rom n ?
cinematograf
4.3%
sport
16.8%
discoteci
19.0%
administraie, poliie
39.4%
medic
teren de joac
14.0%
6.1%
rude
20.1%
33.3%
prientenii
vecinii
16.8%
39.8%
cltorii
42.7%
alte regiuni
cumprturi
0,0%
53.4%
10,0%
20,0%
30,0%
40,0%
50,0%
60,0%
Luarea n considerare a situaiilor de uz al limbii romne, impune cunoaterea specificului obiceiurilor de lectur ale respondenilor. Pentru sugestivitatea datelor, prezentm comparativ preferinele de
lectur n limba romn i n englez.
Tabel nr. 2.
De obicei, citesc...
romane
proz scurt
ziare
reviste de tineret
gazete de sport
pagini web
n limba romn
19%
28%
27%
27%
10%
15%
n limba englez
2%
8%
3%
5%
2%
31%
24
ENG
GER
HU
ROM
70,0%
60,0%
50,0%
40,0%
30,0%
20,0%
10,0%
0,0%
1
Acest item al chestionarului (Cunoaterea cror limbi, dintre cele enumerate, le consideri importante
pentru succesul tu existenial n viitorul apropiat? Alege trei dintre variantele prezentate!) oferea posibilitatea alegerii dintre mai multe limbi: a. englez, b. german, c. maghiar, d. romn e. francez, f. latin,
g. italian h. greac, i. croat, j. spaniol. Prezentm n diagrama de mai sus, structura intern a opiunilor
celor mai frecvente. Dac avem n vedere frecvena alegerilor marcate, pe primul loc, n ordinea importanei acordate se afl limba englez (94% din totalul respondenilor), urmat de limba romn (81% din
totalul respondenilor), maghiar (69% din totalul respondenilor) i german (42% din totalul respondenilor). innd cont de valoarea modal a rangurilor stabilite prin cele trei posibiliti de alegere (dintre
care prima limb aleas a reprezentat i ordinea importanei acordate aspect precizat i n indicaiile
chestionarului) aceast ordonare capt alt configuraie. Prima limba considerat de cei mai muli ca
fiind cea mai indispensabil n viitorul apropiat este limba englez (2,45), fiind urmat de limba maghiar
(1,31) romn (1,26) i german (0,74). De remarcat este faptul c aceast configuraie a opiunilor trebuie abordat n dinamismul ei, experienele, achiziiile individului pe parcursul evoluiei sale ontogenetice
supunndu-se la permanent restructurare. n mod cert, acest tablou ordonator al limbilor reprezint
un tip de raportare la specificul mediului lingvistic actual ai respondenilor, fapt pentru care considerm
semnificativ compararea acestei configuraii cu modul de relaionare la aceste limbi al subiecilor din
medii lingvistice eterogene sau din medii lingvistice caracterizate prin dominana limbii romne.
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Acest tablou atitudinal impune precizarea tipologiei motivaionale care st la baza nvrii limbilor,
n general, i a limbii romne, n special (prezentat i n Tdor 2008).
Diagrama nr. 6.
90%
80%
70%
68%
56%
60%
50%
40%
33%
30%
23%
20%
18%
profesor
informaii
important
comunicare
limba
statului
examen
am nevoie
0%
interes
7%
10%
La ntrebarea De ce considerai necesar nvarea limbii romne? respondenii relev un fond motivaional de natur sociogen (nevoia de acceptare, recunoatere, integrare) i psihogen (nevoia de succes, de formare intelectual, de acces la informaii). n funcie de frecvena motivaiilor marcate se poate
releva n cazul respondenilor predominana preocuprii de conformare la cerinele exterioare, motivaiile nvrii avnd n primul rnd un caracter extrinsec. 79% consider c nvarea limbii romne este
condiia integrrii sociale, 70% din totalul rspunsurilor indic preocuparea pentru succesul colar, n
timp ce, tot ntr-o pondere semnificativ apare motivaia exterioar impus de statutul limbii. nvarea
mobilizat cu scopul interrelaionrii (56%), sau pentru a dobndi informaii noi (23%) n limba Celuilalt,
elemente care denoteaz orientarea intrinsec a achiziiei, apar ntr-o pondere mai redus. Din specificul rspunsurilor date reiese predominana mobilului instrumental n nvarea limbii ne-materne, un
fond motivaional instrumental (dup terminologia lui DrnyeiCsiszr 2005), aprut ca rspuns la o
realitate impus. Este vorba n acest caz de o mobilizare cu caracter extrinsec, orientat de dorina de a
face fa cerinelor, ateptrilor impuse.
n literatura de specialitate (Kurtn 2001; Costea, 2004) se remarc din ce n ce mai frecvent necesitatea ca proiectarea demersului educaional i instructiv centrat pe elev s aib un caracter bipolar, n care
orizontul de ateptare al elevului (alturi de cel al profesorului, al prinilor i al celorlali ageni implicai
direct sau indirect n aciunea educaional) s ocupe o pondere echilibrat. O diagnoz orientat de
cerine i ateptri permite o prognoz valid a finalitilor nsuirii limbii, o dimensionare mai clar a
situaiilor de comunicare la care individul trebuie pregtit i, n mod indirect, ofer percepia respondenilor asupra conduitei eficiente de comunicare.
Analiza nivelulului de ateptare n contextul folosirii limbii romne i engleze ne-a fost permis de
rspunsurile respondenilor formulate la ntrebrile: Dup prerea ta n urmtorii douzeci de ani, la ce
(i cnd) vei folosi limba romn (limba engez)? Datele referitoare la limba romn, ca ne-matern sunt
ilustrate comparativ cu proiectele de folosire a limbii engleze.
n cazul limbii romne, aa cum reiese din diagrama nr. 7., se contureaz clar cele dou piste ale integrrii eficiente, n care cunoaterea limbii devine un factor determinator. Este vorba de dimensiunea
social, interuman, respectiv cea profesional. Conform imaginii de viitor a respondenilor, limba romn va reprezenta instrumentul de rezolvare a problemelor cotidiene, a celor administrative, dar i al
stabilirii relaiilor interpersonale. Totodat, este condiia desvririi profesionale eficiente i a orientrii
profesionale de calitate. n cazul limbii engleze, cunoaterea limbii reprezint o premis a mobilitii individului i (asemntor cu limba romn) este perceput ca i condiie a desvririi socio-profesionale.
26
n cazul limbii romne, se poate vorbi de o motivaie de competen (dup terminologia lui White 1963
n: JohnsonJohnson 1985) adic de o mobilizare orientat de dorina i nevoia relaionrii eficiente cu
mediul. Dup terminologia lui Gardner R. C (1985) este vorba de o baz motivaional integrativ cci
mobilurile nvrii sunt direcionate de nevoia imanent de consens, de stabilire a relaiilor.
Diagrama nr. 7.
44%
37%
40%
35%
31%
30%
25%
20%
28%
22%
15%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Limba englez
10%
6%
3%
refuzul
comunicrii
4%
4%
1%
0
limba statuluilimb
internaional
folosirea
limbii n
cltorii
0%
comunicare
zilnic
studii
superioare
integrare
profesional
integrare
social ntr-o
alt ar
Pornind de la ideea lui Dewey conform creia coala, pentru a nu fi o nchisoare a minii, trebuie
s reprezinte viaa actual, s simplifice viaa social existent la o form embrionar, considerm c
luarea n calcul a principalelor subcomponente care constituie reperele structurante ale bilingvismului
instituional reprezint o condiie sine qua non a proiectrii democratice.
Concluzii
Fr pretenia unei prezentri exhaustive, studiul de fa ofer radiografia ctorva contexte determinatoare ale existenei bi(multi)lingve. Reformularea acestei realiti pe baza datelor empirice, poate
contribui benefic la familiarizarea i fundamentarea unei terminologii univoce care s denoteze reperele psiho-sociale i chiar de management al nvrii limbii romne ca ne-matern. Studiul pornete de la
premisa asimetriei specifice bilingvismului instituional, urmrind configuraia factorilor structurani n
contextul elevilor din medii predominant monolingve, care nva n coli cu limba de predare maghiar. Concluziile cercetrii scot la iveal contrastul dintre autoaprecierile elevilor n privina capacitii de
comunicare n limba romn i modul cum se noteaz cunotinele lor la aceast disciplin. Se relev
superioritatea tailor n privina stpnirii limbii romne, n special, dar i a limbilor strine, precum i
rolul hotrtor al mamelor n orientarea nvrii limbilor. Contextele de folosire a limbii n cazul subiecilor studiai sunt extrem de variate, dar se poate observa c respondenii citesc n limba romn ziare,
gazete, texte literare scurte, ns caut informaii n special n englez i limba matern. n proiectele
de viitor, alturi de limba englez i limba matern, limba romn este definit ca o condiie de baz a
desvririi sociale i profesionale. Evident, acest fond de raportare structureaz configuraia motivaional a nvrii.
Constatrile demersului investigativ prezentat pot constitui tipare structurante ale proiectrii modelelor educaionale direcionate de logica inter- i multiculturalitii.
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2005 Emotions and Multilingualism. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
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1983 Communicating naturally in a second language: Theory and practice in language teaching.
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29
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The ROMANIAN INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH ON NATIONAL MINORITIES (RIRNM) is a legally constituted
public entity under the authority of the Romanian Government. It is based in Cluj-Napoca.
Aim
The inter- and multidisciplinary study and research of the preservation, development and expression
of ethnic identity, as well as social, historic, cultural, linguistic, religious or other aspects of national
minorities and of other ethnic communities in Romania.
30
A kolozsvri szkhely, jogi szemlyknt mkd NEMZETI KISEBBSGKUTAT INTZET (NKI) a Romn
Kormny hatskrbe tartoz kzintzmny.
Clok
A romniai nemzeti kisebbsgek s ms etnikai kzssgek etnikai identitsmegrzsnek,
-vltozsainak, -kifejezdsnek, valamint ezek szociolgiai, trtnelmi, kulturlis, nyelvszeti, vallsos
s ms jelleg aspektusainak kutatsa, tanulmnyozsa.
31
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A aprut/Previous issue/Megjelent:
Nr. 1.
Kiss Tams Csata Istvn: Evoluia populaiei maghiare din Romnia. Rezultate i probleme metodologice.
Evolution of the Hungarian Population from Romania. Results and Methodological Problems
Nr. 2.
Veres Valr: Analiza comparat a identitii minoritilor maghiare din Bazinul Carpatic. A Krptmedencei magyarok nemzeti identitsnak sszehasonlt elemzse.
Nr. 3.
Foszt Lszl: Bibliografie cu studiile i reprezentrile despre romii din Romnia cu accentul pe perioada
19902007.
Nr. 4.
Remus Gabriel Anghel: Migraia i problemele ei: perspectiva transnaional ca o nou modalitate de
analiz a etnicitii i schimbrii sociale n Romnia.
Nr. 5
Szkely Istvn Gerg: Soluii instituionale speciale pentru reprezentarea parlamentar a minoritilor
naionale
Nr. 6.
Toma Stefnia: Roma/Gypsies and Education in a Multiethnic Community in Romania
Nr. 7
Marjoke Oosterom: Raising your Voice: Interaction Processes between Roma and Local Authorities in Rural
Romania
Nr. 8.
Horvth Istvn: Elemzsek a romniai magyarok ktnyelvsgrl
Nr. 9.
Rudolf Grf: Palatele igneti. Arhitectur i cultur
n pregtire/Next issues/Elkszletben:
Nr. 11.
Sorin Gog: Cemeteries and Dying in a Multi-religious and Multi-ethnic Village from the Danube Delta
Nr. 12.
Yaron Matras: Viitorul limbii Romani: ctre o politic a pluralismului lingvistic
32