A1 Journal article (refereed)
‘I don’t feel like I’m studying languages anymore’ : Exploring change in higher education students’ learner beliefs during multilingual language studies (2022)

Pirhonen, H. (2022). ‘I don’t feel like I’m studying languages anymore’ : Exploring change in higher education students’ learner beliefs during multilingual language studies. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, Early online. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2022.2063874

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Pirhonen, Hillamaria

Journal or series: Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development

ISSN: 0143-4632

eISSN: 1747-7557

Publication year: 2022

Publication date: 20/04/2022

Volume: Early online

Publisher: Routledge

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2022.2063874

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/80714

Abstract

To educate multilingual global citizens and follow the multilingual turn in language education, universities are faced with the challenge of developing their language pedagogies. This article reports on a study conducted in the context of university language studies that take a multilingual perspective to learning languages for academic and professional purposes. Although multilingual pedagogies have been widely developed in what could be traditionally considered as bilingual education, practical implementations are rarer when considering students that generally have one home language but study multiple foreign languages. To assess the effects of multilingual teaching in this kind of context, the present longitudinal, discursive study examines changes in university students’ beliefs about language learning during their studies. The findings show a shift towards perceiving language more as a means of communication rather than a school subject during the research period, although this shift was clearest for English. In addition, there were small signs of multilingual perspectives towards language learning. The study indicates that there are advantages to multilingual pedagogies in higher education. The article discusses challenges in university language pedagogies and gives suggestions for further development of multilingual teaching.

Keywords: language teaching; language learning; foreign languages; multilingualism; students; conceptions; higher education (teaching); pedagogy of higher education

Free keywords: multilingualism; beliefs; language learning; university pedagogy

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2022

JUFO rating: 2