Learning groups have become more heterogeneous in all areas of the educational system (Putjata & Danilovic, 2019). As a result, multilingualism is increasingly becoming the norm instead of the exception. To approach multilingualism in education in a holistic way, a positive attitude towards all languages is fundamental (Herzog-Punzenberger et al., 2017). In achieving that, teachers play an essential role. The present study focuses on the perspective of allochthonous multilingual student-teachers toward language and heritage and their effect on their future role as teachers in multilingual classrooms. During their own previous school experience as well as their present educational pre-service training, multilingual student teachers often experience prejudice and assumptions towards their competences based on their perceived background (Syring et al.2019). Despite such experiences they are supposed to act as role models and mediators, just by being seen as belonging to a particular migration group (Rotter 2014). At the same time, the same multilingual teachers are supposed to take the perspective of the majority and consider children with a migration background as target group with deficits and in need of special support (Dirim & Mecheril 2017). What teacher education dynamics result from this when attributions are made due to the resource-labeling dilemma (Winter, Maahs & Goltsev, 2021)? Questions that should be answered here concern the role of language, how one's own experience frames the perspective on the future teacher role and what attitudes occur concerning pupils that are coded as in-need. Which roles do language, language competence and language awareness play in their understanding of their role as teachers in schools with growing numbers of multilingual pupils? What influence does this have on their identification as future teachers (Dirim & Heinemann 2016) and the usage of languages?
Biographically-focused interviews are used to gather perspectives on those issues of eight student teachers. By talking to students who belong to the constantly centered target group of multilinguals, rather than about them, a step can be taken towards language sensitivity and inclusion of multilingualism and a more holistic consideration of all linguistic resources.
Sources
Danilovich, Yauheniya & Putjata, Galina (2019): Sprachliche Vielfalt im Unterricht. Wiesbaden: Springer.
Herzog-Punzenberger, Barbara, Le Pichon-Vorstman, Emanuelle, & Siarova, Hanna (2017): Multilingual education in the light of diversity. Lessons learned. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
Dirim, İnci & Heinemann, Alisha (2016): Sprachliche Identität. In: Österreichisches Religionspädagogisches Forum (24) 2, S. 25-31.
Dirim, İnci & Mecheril, Paul (2017): Warum nicht jede Sprache in aller Munde sein darf? Formelle und informelle Sprachregelungen als Bewahrung von Zugehörigkeitsordnungen. In: Fereidooni, Karim & El, Meral (Hrsg.): Rassismuskritik und Widerstandsformen. Wiesbaden: VS, S. 447–462.
Rotter, Carolin (2014): Zwischen Illusion und Schulalltag. Wiesbaden: Springer.
Syring, Marcus; Merk, Samuel; Cramer, Colin; Topalak, Cansu & Bohl, Thorsten (2019): Der Migrationshintergrund Lehramtsstudierender als Prädiktor ihrer Einstellungen zu heterogenen Lerngruppen. In: Zeitschrift für Bildungsforsch 9 (2), S. 201–219.
Winter, Christina; Maahs, Ina-Maria; Goltsev, Evghenia (2021): Dinge beim Namen nennen? - Herausforderungen und Möglichkeiten der Sprachsensibilität in der sprachlichen Bildung. In: Kölner Online Journal für Lehrer*innenbildung, (3) 1, S. 213–234.
