Affordance theory and multiple language learning and teaching

This article argues that the concept of affordances as put forward by James J. Gibson can make a major contribution to our understanding of multilingualism. It can throw some light on multilingualism in general as well as on specific aspects like successful and unsuccessful transfer, the challenges involved in teaching for multilingualism, opportunities for enhancing learner autonomy as well as for creating a sound basis for lifelong and lifewide learning, the particular importance of cooperative learning in multilingual settings, the pivotal role of motivation in multiple language learning, the effects of the political and social context on the emergence, maintenance or decay of multilingualism and the possibility of developing new quality criteria for multilingualism research. Affordance theory with its focus on the individual, the environment and the emergent character of language learning opportunities is particularly well-suited for dealing with the complexity of individual and societal multilingualism. As affordances are located between past experience and potential future action affordance theory takes prior learning experiences, future learning opportunities as well as situational motivational factors into account.