Over the last decades, multilingual education has gained momentum in research, language planning and practice. With the growing wealth of debates and research in this field (a.o. Van Avermaet et al. 2018; Cenoz & Gorter 2017; Mercer, 2011; Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011; Extra & Gorter 2008; Gardner-Chloros 2007), the question arises as to what extent the various social agents involved in multilingual education can change dominant language ideologies and practices and thus bring about social change. In this symposium, we aim to encourage an exchange as to how linguistic diversity in increasingly super-diverse societies can be fostered, leveraged and given value to in class: to do so, we will focus on how a change in perspectives towards multilingual education and multilingual identities can lead to more inclusive teaching and learning practices.
As a starting point for the debate, we will first discuss the key terms of the symposium by describing what a change in perspectives entails and how it relates to agency and social cohesion. By providing examples from two studies we conducted in South Tyrolean schools within the project "One School, Many Languages" (https://sms-project.eurac.edu/), we will then illustrate how a shift in perspectives can serve as a trigger for social change and cohesion:
- firstly, we will consider the perspectives of researchers and their analytic foci;
- secondly, we will turn to students' perspectives and to their approaches to language and learning;
- finally, we will report on how professional development opportunities and participatory action research can bring about change in teachers and their teaching practices.
Through our examples we will show that an individual's standpoint, whether researcher, student or teacher, has a strong impact on choices and practices, and that a change in perspectives is what can turn teachers, learners and researchers into agents of social cohesion in today's societies.
References
Cenoz, J., & Gorter, D. (2017). Minority languages and sustainable translanguaging: threat or opportunity?. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 38(10), 901–912.
Dörnyei, Z., & Ushioda, E. (2011). Teaching and Researching Motivation. London: Longman/Pearson.
Extra, G., & Gorter, D. (2008). The constellation of languages in Europe: An inclusive approach. In G. Extra & D. Gorter (Eds.), Multilingual Europe: Facts and Policies, 3-60. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Gardner-Chloros, P. (2007). Multilingualism of autochthonous minorities. In P. Auer & L. Wei (Eds.), Handbook of Multilingualism and Multilingual Communication, 469-491. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. Hélot, C. & de Mejia, A. (2008) (Eds.). Forging Multilingual Spaces: Integrated Perspectives on Minority and Majority Bilingual Education. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Mercer, S. (2011). Towards an Understanding of Language Learner Self-Concept. Berlin: Springer.
Van Avermaet, P., Slembrouck, S. Van Gorp, K., Sierens S. & Maryns, K. (2018) (Eds.). The Multilingual Edge of Education. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
