Plurilingual education: Step towards multicultural citizenry in India and Canada

Abstract

India and Canada share diversity of cultures and languages. Pluralism and multiculturalism have remained a way of life in India and Canada, respectively. The language policy followed in both countries shares certain common grounds; whereas Canada identifies bilingualism as integral to education policy, India follows a three-language policy in educational matters. Multiculturalism is a constitutionally recognized principle of the Canadian Constitution and “unity in diversity”, the core value on which the Indian Constitution is premised. Federal government in both the countries value multi-level governance, guaranteeing autonomy to the constituent units (called provinces in Canada and states in India). Both countries endorse mutual respect and admiration for each other’s policies. Such values and laws which form the backbone of Indian and Canadian society point towards a pertinent quest for the betterment of both countries, i.e. how can the future citizens be shaped as individuals who respect diversity of cultures, languages, ways of life, values, religion, etc., and believe in democratic space and intercultural communication especially in times of globalization and large-scale migration of people across the world. In my opinion, the answers lie in education, which is the most effective tool for building strong, healthy citizenry possessing a broad mindset incorporating above all: respect and dignity for other cultures and communities. This leads to the question of what should be the main objective of education in a multicultural society? No country is culturally homogeneous in today’s world of Internet and migration; hence, citizens belong to a varied stock of cultures, languages, religions and ethnicities. It is more relevant that valuing diversity is incorporated in the curriculum of education. One way of inculcating the idea of acclaiming diversity is by providing school education in multiple languages. Languages are windows to cultures, and if education is imparted through different languages as medium of instruction, young children would be more receptive to many cultures and respect differences. With this as the background, I study how language in education policy can be utilized to shape future citizens making individuals better human beings appreciating diversity of cultures and languages. With this aim, I investigate the notion of plurilingual education and how it can benefit both India and Canada towards building a tolerant, respectful society.