In this extraordinary context, multi-LEARN promotes a specific concept of functional multilingualism in its educational initiatives, which are taught in all the three languages of the Luxembourg scientific context: English, French and German. Learners need active knowledge of and fluency in English and additionally either French or German. Comprehension and reading skills in the three languages, and additional ones, are considered as an advantage.
Let us give you some further explanations concerning this concept of functional multilingualism: Working and doing research in multilingual and multicultural contexts of learning and development not only requires competencies in different languages but also an increased awareness of problems, questions and possible synergies related to those contexts. That's why for example multi-LEARN training is designed to challenge learners in several respects:
- Training sessions require participants to be functionally proficient right from the beginning of the training in at least two of the languages the topic is taught in. English needs to be functional for academic use (reading, discussing, writing) as trainers with international background contribute to the multi-LEARN activities.
- Either French or German is required as a second working language. Taken together they represent the longstanding Luxembourgish specificity of being at the crossroads between the French-speaking and the German-speaking cultures.
- multi-LEARN provides students with a setting helping them to improve their language skills in terms of scientific writing, presentations, and working in, on and with multilingual situations. Furthermore, the special mentoring system supports all learners in improving their language skills, especially in the third language in use in training activities, the one they might be less or not acquainted with in the beginning. Of course. The setup also encourages them to bring in all other language skills they have and to develop them further throughout the training activities. Students will decide together with their mentor which language competencies to develop (e.g. improving scientific writing in one language, presentational skills in another language etc.)
