English Teachers’ Beliefs About Multilingual Awareness in L3 Learning and Their Teaching Practice in Chinese EFL Context

中国EFL环境下英语教师对三语学习中的多语意识的信念及其实践研究

Teachers’ beliefs toward multilingual awareness in target language learning play a significant role in shaping learners’ attitudes to language awareness, affect learners’ linguistic behavior and teachers’ teaching practice. Therefore, the present study was aimed to explore English teachers’ beliefs about Inner Mongolian university students’ multilingual awareness in L3 learning and their teaching practice in Chinese EFL context. One hundred English teachers from six universities in Inner Mongolia, China, participated in this investigation. The data was collected through a questionnaire and teacher interviews. The results indicate that English teachers hold positive attitudes to multilingual awareness in general;however, there are belief differences between Mongolian and Han teachers;there exist discrepancies between English teachers’ beliefs about multilingual awareness and their teaching practice, and social-cultural environment, family language policy,teacher identity, learning experience, teaching materials, and, more importantly, teachers’ lack of awareness of fostering learners’ multilingual awareness lead to the discrepancies. The present research highlights the necessity of raising teacher awareness of cultivating multilingual awareness in future teacher development and emphasizes the significance of exploring the potential cognitive advantages of multilingualism in promoting L3 learning and developing English learners’ multilingual competence in the EFL context in China.

教师在目标语学习中的多语意识信念对学习者语言意识的形成、学习者的语言行为和教师的教学实践具有重要影响。本研究以来自内蒙古六所大学的100名英语教师为研究对象,通过问卷调查和访谈收集数据,旨在探讨在中国外语学习环境下英语教师对蒙古族大学生第三语言学习中的多语种意识的信念以及他们的教学实践。研究结果表明,总体上英语教师对多语意识持有积极态度,但蒙古语和汉语为母语的英语教师信念与教学实践之间存在差异。英语教师的社会文化环境、家庭语言政策、教师身份、学习经验、所用教材,更重要的是他们缺乏培养学习者的多语言意识,导致了教师信念与教学实践之间的差异。本研究强调了在今后的教师发展中有必要提高教师对培养多语意识的认识,探讨了三语学习过程中多语者的潜在认知优势以及在中国外语学习环境下发展学习者多语能力的重要性。