Plurilinguisme vs multilinguisme / Plurilingualism vs multilingualism / Veeltalig vs meertalig (suite...)

Lisez la suite de mon premier article sur mon blog La Maison du Multilinguisme : je vous en dis plus sur la différence entre les deux, allez-le lire.


Read the follow-up on of my first article on my blog La Maison du Multilinguisme - you will discover more- why not reading it.

I do not know whether you already wondered what the difference is between plurilingualism and multilingualism. Few people are wondering about it. There is a basic important difference. I would like to talk about them today - without being academic.

Multilingualism is the co-existence of several languages, multiple languages on one territory, within one country, within one society. They are all the languages available in one country. Thus Belgium is a multilingual country, so is Canada which is also multicultural. India is also a multilingual country and there are many of them around the world.

Whereas plurilingualism has to do with the person, the individual. It is the ability of one person to possess, to master several languages. Note : pluri meaning several and lingua referring to languages. All those languages are not separated by a linguistic border, they belong to one head, on single person who has the ability to use them all. 

Being plurilingual helps develop communication skills, it allows you to interact with the biggest possible number of people. No need to master all those languages perfectly to be considered as plurilingual.

The Council of Europe is insisting on this point: the plurilingual citizenship. It is promoting it. In a multilingual Europe, the citizens can be plurilingual. 

Op mijn blog on La Maison du Multilinguisme zegt ik meer over het verschil. U moet het lezen hier.