Individual Assignment Lecturer

Second Language Acquisition Khairunnas Syafi’I M. Pd

MINI RESEARCH
“THE EFFECTS OF MULTILINGUALISM”

WRITTEN BY:
SEPRINI RAHMA HAZRIVIENA

11614200464

III B

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

TEACHER AND TRAINING FACULTY

UIN SULTAN SYARIF KASIM RIAU

PEKANBARU

2018
 PREFACE

Praise to Allah Almighty only who has given guidance, mercy and His
grace so that we can complete a Mini Research entitled "The Effects of
Multilingualism” is right on time. Prayers and Greetings may remain us say to our
master the Prophet Muhammad, “peace be upon Him” along with his companions,
also all his followers around the world, since the beginning of the rise of Islam
until the Day of Resurrection.
And we would like to thanks to Mr. Khairunnas Syafi’i, M.Pd who has
given us the opportunity to finish this Mini Research aims to fulfill the tasks
subjects Second Language Acquisition and to improve the knowledge of English
Studies.
We recognize that in the preparation of this Mini Research are still many
short comings and is still far from perfection. Therefore, we are looking forward
to feedback and suggestions of the readers that is built for the perfection of this
paper and May Allah bless our efforts and good faith together in efforts to achieve
an intelligent student and faithful.

Writer, January 2018

 CHAPTER I

1. BACKGROUND
Many people in this world can speak by some languages, especially The
Indonesians. In example, the Ocu one sometimes can speaks Minang because
she/he has Minang’s Friends, then she/he often listen to this language and this
situation make she/he understand and can speak in Minang fluently. This situation
often occurs among students, because most of the students wander to other areas
to gain knowledge, so inevitably they must hear and interact with their friends
who live in the area around Campus or outside the area as well. Finally, they can
master several languages after some time.
So, the person who can speaks more than a language named Multilingual.
And the ability to master several languages called Multilingualism. In this
research, the writer will inform the reader about the effects of Multilingualism.

2. WRITTEN PURPOSE
As the purpose of this research are:

1. Definition of Multilingualism
2. The Negative Effects of Multilingualism
3. The Positive Effects of Multilingualism
 CHAPTER II

1. THE THEORITICAL
Multilingual are people who use several languages in their everyday life.
Attitudes towards them are very diverse: some consider them gifted or unusually
intelligent, while others fear that they are not fully competent in any one
language.1
A multilingual is a person who has “the ability to use three or more
languages, either separately or in various degrees of code-mixing. Different
languages are used for different purposes, competences in each varying, according
to such factors as register, occupation, and education” (McArthur 1992: 673; see
also Edwards 1994; Vildomec 1963). Multilinguals may not have equal
proficiency in or control over all the languages they know. The term ‘polyglot’
is also sometimes used to describe multilingual individuals. The term
plurilingual’s is used by some researchers, including the Francophone tradition, to
indicate individual as opposed to societal multilingualism, and the term
“multilinguality” is used to indicate the state of knowing three or more languages
(e.g., Aronin and O Laoire 2004). Polyglossia (or sometimes multiglossia, e.g.
Hary 1992) is usually used in sociolinguistics to refer to communities where a
number of languages or varieties are used by some or all individuals within a
specified community, where they have different roles: more specific reference
may be given as diglossia, triglossia, tetraglossia (e.g., Kaye 1994). These terms
are less frequently used in psycholinguistic research.2
From those theories we can conclude that multilingualism is the person’s
ability to master or use several languages in their daily life. Multilingualism has
an impact both on individuals and on society as a whole. Here are the theories that
will explain about the effects of Multilingualism.

1
Multilinguals are…?,MadalenaCruz-Ferreira, (CreareSpace Independent Publishing
Praltform,2010).hlm.5
2
The Exploration of Multilingualism, LarissaAronin. (John Bnejamins Publishing
Company:2009). Amsterdam. Hlm.15-16
 a. The Negative Effects of Multilingualism
Multilingualism has many negative effects. The most obvious one is that
is divides citizens. It creates an “us versus them” environment. It causes speakers
of the majority and minority language to argue about who is better and who is
right and why. In the anglosphere, there is one answer: English.

Multilingualism also leads to ethnic conflict. This because is many cases,

anglophone and non-anglophones are or different ethnic or national groups. In
Montreal, we see Franco-Canadians battling Anglo-Canadians over language
despite the fact that Canada encourages multilingualism and all but one province
is anglophonic. In Belgium, we see German- speaking Belgians pitted against
French- and Dutch- speaking Belgians.

Multilingualism also created linguistic-ethnic enclaves which speakers of

the majority tend to distrust. How can you be distrust when you refuse to learn or
speak our language? What are you saying that you do not want us to hear?

Multilingualism also leads to hindrance of economic development:

companies will not establish the major presence if there is a chance they will have
to hire employees that speak 2 languages. It is an increased cost for them, and as a
rule, all companies will keep their labor costs as low as possible. Every major city
has many businesses and is rapidly growing or even experiencing growth is
monolingual. Once again, multilingualism is a complete anathema to economic
development.3

b. The Positive Effects of Multilingualism

There are 6 positive of Multilingualism :

a) You can understand and appreciate cultural references and nuances.

Most works of art and popular culture are more honestly represented in
their native language. Listening to a song, reading a classic novel,

3
http://cup.matrixtechs.net/the-negative-effects-of-multilingualism/
 watching a movie — these are expressions that bilinguals typically
have the advantage of appreciating in their original form.
b) Bilingualism can create job opportunities and help you navigate the
world. Many of the people we asked held one common belief: Being
bilingual, and especially multilingual, can help facilitate your travels.
When languages share similar words and patterns, it’s easier to apply
your knowledge of one language to another and thus make your way
around certain regions of the world. In addition, it’s no secret that
employers see language skills as a benefit for a prospective employee.
There’s one qualification that employers can’t seem to get enough of,
and that’s fluency in a foreign language.
c) You notice and appreciate the things that are sometimes lost in
translation. We live in an increasingly globalized world where many
cultural subtleties can slip through the cracks as we’re trying to
understand past each other’s different dialects. Allowing your-self to
be immersed in another language means opening the door to an
entirely new culture and way of viewing the world.
d) You feel a sense of connection with your heritage, history and family.
For many, speaking another language keeps them connected to their
families. Imagine not being able to communicate with your parents,
grandparents, aunts and uncles simply because you don’t share a
common language.
e) Your interaction with people of different culture go deeper.
When you speak someone’s native language, you can talk about a lot
more than the weather and other daily fillers. Building deep and
meaningful relationships with foreign communities usually involves
speaking and understanding, partially at least, the same language.
f) Your self-expression excitingly takes on a multitude of forms.
Some even suggest that multilinguals have multiple personalities,
acting differently when speaking in various languages. As a trilingual
myself, I’d have to agree with that theory — because some words just
 plain don’t exist in other languages, which at the very least means
different ways of expression depending on the language.4

2. Research Findings
The writer research one of students in UIN SUSKA RIAU for this
research. Named Mumu, She uses Sunda in her home. But, after she learnt in this
University and interact with her friends those come from many countries and
culture. Now, she can speaks and understand Minang and Ocu those because she
often heard, and communicates with her friends. The writer asked, about the
effects of her ability to master some languages, she said “she is easier to
communicate and interacts to other people”, she did not said about the negative
one of multilingualism in her life.

4
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/02/multilingual-benefits_n_5399980.html
 CONCLUSION

After talking so much, we can conclude that there are negative and
positive effects of Multilingualism. The negative effects of Multilingualism, is the
divided citizens. And the positive effects of Multilingualism, to easier in
communication to people who come from other country and culture.
 REFERENCES

Aronin, Alisa. (2009). The Exploration of Multilingualism. Amsterdam: John

Benjamins Publishing Company

Cruz, Mahdalena-Fereira. (2010). Multilinguals are…?. Creare Space Independent

Publishing Platform.

http://cup.matrixtechs.net/the-negative-effects-of-multilingualism/

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/02/multilingualbenefits_n_5399980/htm
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