Project: Multilingualism, Subalternity and Dominance of Single Language Networks
The Hegemony of English in the Multilingual Societies of India and South Africa
• General introduction
   
• Approach and assumptions
   
• Research objectives
   
• Project progress
   
• Research group
   
• Publications

Research implementation and progress


1. International Symposium


The major event in the framework of the ongoing research was the organisation of an International Symposium in Pune, India, in March 2003 on the topic:

Social production of knowledge through diversity of expressive modes, multiple literacies and bi(multi)lingual relationships


It was structured around five guiding themes as follows:

A.

Multiplicity of locally produced knowledge and their actual or potential universal validity - an international comparative perspective
B.

Multiple cognitive, expressive and action-oriented manifestations of socially relevant knowledge
C. The diversity of socially produced expressive modes, literacies and multilingual relationships in the daily life
D. Is the social production of knowledge jeopardized or enhanced due to the dominance of English?
E. Realisation modes of multi(bi)lingual relationships in formal education



There were four background papers dealing with:

0. Contrasting paradigms of knowledge production and complementarity of diversity in India and Europe.
1. From monolingual habitus to multilingual perceptions and realisations through bilingual education - a comparative world perspective.
2. Languages of technology and technology education designs and practices
3. Practised bi- and multilingualism in society and education in India - assessment and perspectives.
It was attended by 32 Scholars coming from all over India, from South Africa, Europe and USA.



2. Publication plan


The papers presented at the Symposium together with the empirical research done during the past three years will lead to a number of publications of different type as the plan below shows:



A. Publications of a general, theoretical-analytical nature:

1. Multiple Languages, Literacies and Technologies as sources of social innovation
It will comprise revised papers presented at the International Symposium organised within the framework of the project in March 2003 at the J. P. Naik Centre for Education & Development, Indian Institute of Education, Pune, India: Editor, Patrick V. Dias.
2. Bilingual Education and Bi-literacy: its meaning, usefulness and practicability
It will comprise some specifically issue centred papers of the Symposium and more elaborate versions of experiments in integral and bilingual education in India: Editor, Patrick V. Dias
3. Learning and Teaching Languages and Technological Codes in Formal Education in India
It will contain all the revised and subsequently prepared papers analysing empirical data dealing with the schooling practices in India: Editor, Patrick V. Dias.
4.

Mother Tongue Based Bilingual Education in Southern Africa: The Dynamics of Implementation
It will include 10 papers to be presented at the PRAESA Symposium at the University of Cape Town in October 2003: Editor, Neville Alexander.
5. The historically diverse subjects trapped in the status of sub-alternity by hegemonic language, communication and technological networks
This will be a theoretically and historically more comprehensive and comparative study authored by Patrick V. Dias and Chitra Natarajan.



B. Publications presenting survey data collection and documentation in the form of
     Workplace Reports

1. Drawing posters to understand children's ideas on science and technology by the Research Group at HBCSE on Technology Education and Gender and Technology
2. Ideas about "technology" among middle school students in Mumbai by the Research Group at HBCSE on Technology Education and Gender and Technology
3. Comparative studies of two distinct media of instruction (Marathi and English) in Maharashtra by Anita Patwardhan and Aapanach-Group.
4. Empirical assessment of the shift in medium of instruction from Konkani to English in Std. V in Goa State by Celso Dias and Patrick V. Dias
5. Multilinguistic perceptions and interactions among trainees in teacher training institutes, RIE and ELTI, in Orissa by Sridhara Mishra in collaboration with Manmath Kundu.
6. Communication patterns in an English medium college in Mumbai resulting from mixing home language, Hindi and English and its socio-cultural implications by Aruna Giri with collaboration of Patrick V. Dias
7. Educating within or outside life reality?: Assessing English language textbooks St. V to X - Patrick V. Dias on the basis of content analysis prepared by the English language teachers Ujjwala Bhalekar, Geeta Chitnis, Deepti Chivate, Helen John, Manjiri Madhur Godbole, Saroj V. Subramanian



C. Books for diffusion of academic knowledge and for training purposes


We envisage the publication of a series under the overall common title (Size 40 to 60 pages):
Understanding children's learning paths on

1. Acquiring multiple languages and literacies by Patrick V. Dias
2. Designing multi-purpose and appropriate technologies by Chitra Natarajan
3. Integrating multiple expression and content based curriculum
4. Coping with bilingual learning and teaching methods
5. Linking life-world experiences with school practices



D. Learning and teaching modules and aids


Concretely foreseen at present are:

1. Modules for content based language learning and teaching
2. Bilingual learning cards and charts in Konkani/English
3. odules for technology education at elementary school level



The content of each publication will be explained at a later stage on a pdf-file.