In the field of language education, several models of intercultural learning have emphasized the intricate relationship between language and culture. Among the most cited are Byram's (1997) theory of intercultural communicative competence and Kramsch's work on third places (1993), and later, symbolic competence (2006). These models delineate components or identify dimensions of intercultural competence, and Kramsch's theory makes tighter connections between linguistic elements and the sense-making around these that support intercultural competence. These two models also crucially underscore the centrality of critical awareness (Byram, 1997) and the centrality of symbolic power in language use and learning (Kramsch, 2006; Kramsch & Whiteside, 2008); however, these prevalent models do not theorize how intercultural competence develops nor do they connect development of interculturality with pedagogical or curricular design processes. Building from these theoretical foundations and drawing on both Svalberg's (2009) model of engagement with language and meaning-based theories of the ways language and culture connect (Halliday, 1978), especially in language learning settings (Kearney, 2016), we have fashioned a model of Growing Multilingual Awareness in early childhood (forthcoming) and begin the presentation in detailing the model in order to anchor our subsequent discussion of empirical analyses.
To counter a nation-state focused or monolithic view of cultures and of interculturality, we developed and implemented the Growing Multilingual Awareness program with pre-primary learners. The program aimed to provide an interactional environment that would, to whatever extent possible, promote semiotic awareness and empowerment (as opposed to focusing on communicative proficiency). This program was in place over the course of six years and was implemented in 33 classrooms among 539 children. The primary source of data collected were video-recorded observations of classroom interactions, which were initially analyzed through the lens of Svalberg's engagement with language model and then with the model we developed to capture other dimensions of children's sense-making around language.
Our presentation highlights examples from the program (video and transcripts) that illustrate how young children can and do develop critical intercultural awareness and exercise semiotic empowerment in interactions around new language(s). We show both how the program succeeded and sometimes failed to foster engagement with language, critical consciousness and semiotic empowerment among learners in the pre-primary setting. We summarize some key insights for developing interculturality in practice in the early childhood classroom and advance the argument that a critical lens for thinking about world languages education and pursuing development of criticality through world languages education are both potential routes to challenging pervasive monolingual ideologies and alternatively socializing multilingual norms and orientations among learners in the U.S.
