Plurilingual and Pluricultural as the New Normal: An Examination of Language Use and Identity in the Multilingual City of Montreal

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  • Author(s): Angelica Galante (ORCID Angelica Galante (ORCID 0000-0002-5509-074X); John Wayne N. dela Cruz (ORCID John Wayne N. dela Cruz (ORCID 0000-0003-4873-6538)
  • Language:
    English
  • Source:
    Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. 2024 45(4):868-883.
  • Publication Date:
    2024
  • Document Type:
    Journal Articles
    Reports - Research
  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
    • Peer Reviewed:
      Y
    • Source:
      16
    • Education Level:
      Higher Education
      Postsecondary Education
    • Subject Terms:
      Multilingualism; Foreign Countries; Cultural Pluralism; Sociolinguistics; College Students; English; French; Self Concept; Language Minorities; Language Proficiency; Language Usage; Measures (Individuals); Code Switching (Language); Second Language Learning; Scores; Questionnaires; English (Second Language); Native Language; Biculturalism; Student Attitudes; Bilingualism; Age Differences
    • Subject Terms:
      Canada (Montreal)
    • Accession Number:
      10.1080/01434632.2021.1931244
    • ISSN:
      0143-4632
      1747-7557
    • Abstract:
      As plurilingual/multilingual research advances, factors that contribute to or hinder individual's flexible language use are still underexplored. Questions such as "Why do some people identify as plurilingual and pluricultural while others do not?" and "What factors contribute to high levels of plurilingual and pluricultural competence (PPC)?" remain unknown. This article presents results of a mixed methods study with 250 plurilingual participants in the multilingual city of Montreal, Canada. Data was collected through a demographic questionnaire, the Plurilingual and Pluricultural Identity Questionnaire (PPIQ) and the Plurilingual and Pluricultural Competence (PPC) scale. Results show that a vast majority of participants identified as plurilingual and pluricultural, and seven reasons for shaping this identity were found: rich repertoire, lived experiences, awareness of differences and similarities, transculturalism, adaptation and integration, translanguaging, and openness. Moreover, there was a significant difference in PPC scores between Canadian-born participants and participants born outside of Canada, suggesting that speakers of minority languages in Canada have lower PPC scores compared to speakers of Canada's official languages. These results are significant as they enhance our understanding of language use and identity, suggesting that plurilingualism and pluriculturalism can be the new norm in multilingual contexts but minority languages need further recognition.
    • Abstract:
      As Provided
    • Publication Date:
      2024
    • Accession Number:
      EJ1423691