Plurilingualism, Multiculturalism and Lingua Franca English in Today's Globalized World

Abstract

We live in a multilingual era where English serves as the language of international communication. English permeates every sphere of life, from education to trade, from employment to scientific literature. It is well-known that high levels of English proficiency allow for greater opportunities for professional advancement in a globalized world. However, English is not enough. This is because we live in a multilingual and multicultural society where a multitude of languages overlap. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the importance of a language policy that on the one hand prepares people for a globalized world with English as a lingua franca (King, 2018) and, on the other hand, implements a plurilingual-oriented education as a way towards infinite resources, including openness to cultural diversity, enhancement of cognitive abilities, and social inclusion. As for the latter, plurilingualism is closely related to the crucial issue of international migration and the opportunities that languages and language skills can offer migrants for integration into host countries. In secondary and higher education, it is imperative to increasingly encourage international mobility projects in multicultural contexts, as well as apply the most innovative teaching strategies for optimal language learning.