Een examen in meertaligheid: Een reactie op de reacties van collega’s

Abstract

In this response, I take the concept of monolingualism as a starting point to reflect on the authors’ comments regarding my lead article. For a long time, research in conversation analysis has mistakenly assumed that monolingual studies can explain universal conversation structures. Moreover, the new Common European Framework (2020) is also still based on separate monolingual tests. The authors agree that secondary school exams require thorough reconsideration. Greater focus on language training creating career opportunities in healthcare, media, advertising, marketing, government communications, and diplomacy could motivate students to embark on language studies. After all, students need to be prepared for a society that – as everyone agrees on – is multilingual.