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JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH

RECEPTIVE MULTILINGUALISM IN TERTIARY EDUCATION: ENHANCING READING
COMPREHENSION SKILLS AND TRAINING MUTILINGUAL READERS

KATARÍNA CHOVANCOVÁ,

DARINA VEVERKOVÁ,

MAREK ĽUPTÁK

Faculty of Arts, Matej Bel University, Tajovského 40, 974 01
Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
email:

katarina.chovancova@umb.sk

Institute of Foreign Languages, Technical University in Zvolen,
T. G. Masaryka 24, 960 01 Zvolen, Slovakia
email:

darina.veverkova@tuzvo.sk,

marek.luptak@tuzvo.sk

Grant: 010TU Z-4/2017 (Cultural and Educational Grant Agency of the Ministry of
Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic) Name of the Grant:
Developing the Reading Competency and Teaching Technical Foreign Languages at
Technical Universities

Abstract: The paper discusses the importance of building up receptive multilingualism
in tertiary education on the background of current linguistic and curricular policies,
giving space to a wide-spread presence of English as a lingua franca. It puts forward
results of comparative research on receptive multilingualism of young Slovak speakers
in relation to a genetically related language laying stress on the factor of contextual
prediction. Understanding contextualized and uncontextualized items in a written text
is measured in correlation to main features of linguistic repertories of speakers. The
study opens up towards metalinguistic and reflexive components of one’s
communicative competence as well, identifying possible key factors enhancing
intercomprehension.

Keywords:

language, curricula, receptive multilingualism, reading, skill,

intercomprehension

1 Introduction

Despite a strong presence of English, multilingualism remains a
characteristic feature of a large majority of communication
contexts in Europe. Facing both historical reality and
contemporary truism, multilingual communities are urged to
coin strategies to handle plurality. Attempts made on various
levels of political, social and cultural existence of our societies
have met unequal success. The ideal of a fully multilingual
speaker is not yet a practical reality.

The research presented in this paper is based on the key concept
of receptive multilingualism. The notion is considered in an
interdisciplinary perspective combining a central point of view
of contrastive linguistics and, complementarily, a sociolinguistic
point of view. Applications of the concept in the field of
language acquisition are then taken into consideration.

The need for the mobility and multilingualism arises in the
regions and there are used other languages than English (cf.
WIDLOK –

PETRAVIĆ – ORG – ROMCEA, 2010, p. 8).

Slovakia is a member of the European Union since 1 May 2004.
Multilingualism is one of the EU founding principles. This
policy aims at the communication with its citizens in their own
languages, protecting European rich linguistic diversity and
promoting language learning in Europe.

Furthermore, the principle is anchored in the EU Charter of
Fundamental Rights. The citizens of the EU member countries
have the right to use any of 24 official languages to contact the
EU institutions. The EU institutions are obliged to reply in the
same language. Another relevant reason for supporting the
plurilingual approach in the Slovak educational system is the
Schengen Agreement which creates the European Schengen
Area where internal border checks were abolished. Free
movement of the residents within the borders of the Schengen
Area in Europe is allowed. This leads to the fact that Slovak
students should learn also another foreign language besides
English. The Barcelona objectives are to be met according to the
European Commission. The national governments have to
provide their citizens with the possibility of learning at least two
foreign languages from early age. The receptive or
comprehensive concept in the foreign language learning process
is in the foreground: “The European Commission responds to
these needs by taking the actions recommended in the proposal
for a Council Recommendation on a comprehensive approach to

the teaching and learning of languages, ... etc.“

English was

established the first and only compulsory foreign language in
Slovakia in 2011 by the Act No. 245/2008 Coll. on Upbringing
and Education. In the part Aims of Upbringing and Education it
is stated that the aim is to allow children to “master English
language and at least one other foreign language”

. The number

of lessons per week is adjusted by the obligatory State
Educational Programme and Framework Teaching Plans.
However, in so-called innovated Framework Teaching Plan from
2015 the second foreign language became optional. It is in
contrast to the law and the plurilingual approach is not ensured
in foreign languages teaching. Thanks to the interventions of
professional associations of foreign languages teachers, there is
an effort to enforce two compulsory foreign languages in
compliance with the School Act, according to the model of a
mother tongue and two foreign languages (the European
Commission proposes this model, too). From September 2019,
Slovak children will have a possibility to choose their first
foreign language (English, German, French, Russian, Spanish or
Italian). However, English language will still remain
compulsory, i.e. if a pupil chooses another language than English
as the first foreign language (during primary education – ISCED
1), they will have to select English as the compulsory second
language during lower secondary education (ISCED 2). It is
stated in the Amendment to the State Educational Programme
and Framework Teaching Plan.

To sum up, English stays compulsory at two language levels
after the implementation of this change. There will be no
significant changes in the language policy of primary schools
unless directors and teachers of foreign languages work
purposefully with the opinion of general public. Except for
English, other foreign languages (L2) are positioned legislatively
as tertiary languages. This ranking is not true for the primary
schools where the languages of national minorities are used. For
the development of receptive multilingualism, it is important to
teach children at least two foreign languages during their
primary and lower secondary studies (ISCED 1 and ISCED).

2 State of the matter

All over the world English has become a sort of lingua franca in
today’s society, especially because of its widespread use in the
spheres of work, studies, science, research, travelling or
entertainment. Therefore the necessity of mastering English
emerged at all degrees of studies in the Slovak Republic and for
a certain period was imposed by the Slovak legislation to be
studied as the compulsory foreign language. Nevertheless, other
foreign languages still have had their irreplaceable position
within the system of Slovak education. The following studied
languages are the most preferred ones as the second foreign
language in Slovakia: French, German, Russian, Spanish and
Italian.

Technical universities in Slovakia propose up-to-date technical
and professional study programmes and their graduates are well-
educated professionals in the spheres of technology, engineering,
science, research, industry or other areas. In the Slovak
Republic, the tradition of technical universities is well
established.

The Technical University in Zvolen, Slovakia, provides
education at three levels of studies within the European Higher
Education and Research Area. At the Technical University in
Zvolen, Slovakia, students can study at four faculties: Faculty of
Forestry, Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology, Faculty of

See: https://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/multilingualism/about-multilingualism-

policy_en

Act on Upbringing and Education (so-called School Act):

https://www.slov-lex.sk/pravne-predpisy/SK/ZZ/2008/245/20190901.html

http: //www.minedu.sk/dodatok-c-3-k-svp-%E2%80%9Erup-pre-zs-s-vyucovacim-

jazykom-slovenskym%E2%80%9C/

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