To ensure smooth communication and collaboration, here are some troubleshooting tips to address common issues:
Check Internet Connection: Verify that you have a stable and reliable internet connection. Use a wired connection when possible, as it tends to be more stable than Wi-Fi. If using Wi-Fi, make sure you have a strong signal.
Update the Browser or App: Ensure that you are using the latest version of the web browser. Developers frequently release updates to address bugs and improve performance.
Clear Browser Cache: Sometimes, cached data can cause conflicts or issues. Clear the browser cache and cookies before joining the meeting.
Test Audio and Video: Before the meeting, check your microphone and camera to ensure they are working correctly. If you are a speaker, you can click on "Start Practice Session" button test to ensure audio and video devices are functioning.
Close Other Applications: Running multiple applications in the background can consume system resources and lead to performance issues. Close unnecessary apps to free up resources for the Dryfta meeting platform.
Restart Your Device: If you encounter persistent issues, try restarting your computer or mobile device. This can help resolve various software-related problems.
Use Supported Browsers: Ensure you are using a browser supported by the meeting platform. Recommended browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Brave.
Allow Necessary Permissions: Make sure the Dryfta meeting platform has the required permissions to access your microphone, camera, and other necessary features.
Disable VPN or Firewall: Sometimes, VPNs or firewalls can interfere with the connection to the meeting platform. Temporarily disable them and see if the issue persists.
Switch Devices: If possible, try joining the meeting from a different device to see if the problem is specific to one device.
Reduce Bandwidth Usage: In cases of slow or unstable internet connections, ask participants to disable video or share video selectively to reduce bandwidth consumption.
Update Drivers and Software: Ensure your operating system, audio drivers, and video drivers are up to date. Outdated drivers can cause compatibility issues with the Dryfta meeting platform.
Contact Support: If none of the above steps resolve the issue, reach out to the platform's support team. They can provide personalized assistance and troubleshoot specific problems.
By following these troubleshooting tips, you can tackle many common problems encountered on Dryfta meeting platform and have a more productive and seamless meeting experience.
20230719T101520230719T1800Europe/Amsterdam[SYMP13] AILA ReN - Social and affective factors in home language maintenance and developmentHybrid Session (onsite/online)AILA 2023 - 20th Anniversary Congress Lyon Editioncellule.congres@ens-lyon.fr
Preparing teachers for working in linguistically diverse classrooms: Nordic perspectives
Oral Presentation[SYMP13] AILA ReN - Social and affective factors in home language maintenance and development10:15 AM - 06:00 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/19 08:15:00 UTC - 2024/07/19 16:00:00 UTC
In the twenty-first century, Nordic countries have experienced increasing levels of migration, which directly impacts on schools. Newcomers are often directly placed in mainstream classrooms, meaning that they spend most of their school time with mainstream teachers. The ability of teachers in Nordic countries to provide all students, including newcomers, with equal and inclusive education of high quality constitutes the ultimate test of the "Nordic model" of education according to Lundahl (2016, p. 10). A salient measure in this test is teacher education. Studies investigating the ways in which different forms of teacher education address linguistic diversity in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland and Sweden have been complied in an edited volume (Iversen, Reath Warren & Straszer (Eds), under review). The studies include analyses of teacher education policy documents and syllabi, policy enactment in classroom observations and studies of teacher educators', pre-service and in-service teachers' beliefs and knowledge. In this presentation an editorial perspective on these studies will be offered, based on extensive reading of the contributions and investigation of salient themes across the nine chapters. Three themes were identified. Firstly, there is a need for teacher educators to make clearer connections between theory and practice. While pre- and in-service teachers agree that linguistic diversity is a fact in their classrooms, they also indicate a lack of preparedness, pedagogical knowledge and skills for working with students from linguistically diverse backgrounds. The second theme identified is the need for all teacher educators to be involved in preparing their students for working with linguistically diverse students, and not only teacher educators working with language subjects. The third theme is the tension that exists concerning how to incorporate knowledge of and methods for working with linguistically diverse students into teacher education. While some universities advocate for one compulsory course for all pre-service teachers, others argue for a multilingual strand running through all courses. According to the Nordic model described by Lundahl (2016), all students, regardless of their linguistic background, are entitled to "inclusive, equal education and a fair chance to start a new life" (Lundahl, 2016, p.10). These studies of teacher education in a Nordic context indicate that providing pre- and in-service teachers with the knowledge and tools to do this presents challenges, but also that policies and theoretical knowledge do exist. Discussion and debate arising from the studies' results as well as further studies in different contexts can lead to development of approaches which better prepare teachers for working with students with linguistically diverse backgrounds.
References Iversen, J., Reath Warren, A., & Straszer, B. (Eds.)(under review). Teacher education for working in linguistically diverse classrooms: Nordic perspectives. Language Science Press. Lundahl, L. (2016). Equality, inclusion and marketization of Nordic education: Introductory notes. Research in Comparative and International Education, 11(1), 3–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745499916631059
Notions language-related normality. Methodological considerations on the opportunities and limitations of the concepts knowledge, attitudes and beliefs from a study with primary school teachers in Germany.
[SYMP13] AILA ReN - Social and affective factors in home language maintenance and development10:15 AM - 06:00 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/19 08:15:00 UTC - 2024/07/19 16:00:00 UTC
The multilingualism of pupils runs counter to nation-state organised and monolingually oriented education systems. This social factor causes not only home language maintenance and development, but also educational disadvantages for all those children who deviate from the dominant monolingual norm. At the same time, monolingual notions of normality shape teachers' expectations of self-efficacy: they perceive linguistic heterogeneity as deviation from the norm and dealing with linguistically heterogeneous groups as challenging. It is therefore important to examine teachers' notions of language-related normality. IWe will first present the notion of language-related normality starting from an international project where the theoretical framework is based on the concepts "attitudes", "beliefs" and "knowledge". The data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with 36 primary school teachers and analyzed using the software Atlas.ti with Appraisal. At the end of the presentation we will discuss following questions: Which beliefs about multilingualism in school can be identified in the statements of teachers? Are there any distinctive argumentative patterns? To what extent are existing ideologies on multilingualism reflected in teachers' statements?
The multilingualism of pupils runs counter to nation-state organised and monolingually oriented education systems. The nation-state education system's one legitimate language has various functions. It is (1) a criterion for access to educational institutions. In Germany, for example, school entrance examinations, which actually assess children's cognitive development, children are mainly measured against a linguistic norm (Gomolla 2006), (2) language is also a medium of knowledge transfer and evaluation in classroom. In this context, certain forms of language, e.g. the academic register of German, are implicitly assumed, but not explicitly taught at school (Feilke 2012, Morek/Heller 2012). The degree to which children are equipped with the necessary linguistic means becomes a criterion for recommendation for certain types of school, and thus (3) becomes the basis for selection processes, which ultimately (4) determines pupils' level of inclusion and educational success (Gomolla/Radtke 2009; Fürstenau 2017). These social factors cause not only home language maintenance and development, but also educational disadvantages for all those children who deviate from the dominant monolingual norm. At the same time, monolingual notions of normality shape teachers' expectations of self-efficacy: they perceive linguistic heterogeneity as deviation from the norm and dealing with linguistically heterogeneous groups as challenging. It is therefore important to examine teachers' language-related notions of normality (Huxel 2018, Panagiotopoulou/Putjata 2020). Why do we speak of language-related notions of normality? In our presentation, we will present this concept (1.) starting from an international project where the theoretical framework (2) is based on the concepts "attitudes", "beliefs" and "knowledge" (Fives/Bühl 2016). The data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with 36 primary school teachers and analyzed using the software Atlas.ti with appraisal (Martin/White 2002). In the methodology part (3), we will show how the method of appraisal helped us to sharpen our focus and (4.) arrive at the concept of language-related notions of normality. At the end of the presentation we will discuss following questions: (Content:) Which beliefs about multilingualism in school can be identified in the statements of teachers? (Methodology:) Are there any distinctive argumentative patterns? (Theoretical:) To what extent are existing ideologies on multilingualism reflected in teachers' statements?
‘Inert benevolence’ towards languages beyond English in the discourses of English primary school teachers
Oral Presentation[SYMP13] AILA ReN - Social and affective factors in home language maintenance and development10:15 AM - 06:00 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/19 08:15:00 UTC - 2024/07/19 16:00:00 UTC
The UK, and perhaps particularly England, is often seen as a nation subscribing wholeheartedly to a monolingual mindset. The national curriculum remains resolutely monolingual, despite linguistic diversity in primary classrooms having increased rapidly. Current research and anecdotal evidence suggests that translanguaging in English schools is rare, despite the documented 'multilingual turn' in applied linguistics, and transnational practices are seen as being facilitated only within families. This study sought to understand attitudes and practices towards supporting multilingualism and encouraging children's sense of transnationalism, rather than solely English language acquisition and assimilation into British culture. Forty semi-structured interviews were conducted with teachers across England, and the resultant transcriptions were analysed thematically to explore the experiences and attitudes of participants. The data presented in this paper focuses on instances of what we have termed 'inert benevolence' and we identify a number of conscious and subconscious barriers to truly incorporating languages beyond English in classroom practices.
While overwhelmingly, the teachers in our study shared a generically benevolent viewpoint towards multilingualism, when we looked in detail into the language used, it was clear that teachers' contributions were influenced by curriculum pressures, as well as, in some cases, pervasive language linked to the othering of multilingual pupils, or a generic deficit model of multilingualism. This is in no way intended to detract from good practice, nor indeed, to say that we ourselves would be entirely free of similar linguistic conventions that prevail in policy texts as well as general speech. We do argue, however, that these conscious and subconscious barriers warrant further introspection, as they may prevent teachers from turning their inert benevolence into concrete, research-informed practice. It is interesting to note that this inert benevolence could also be said to rule England's policy context: while the most recent attempt at composing a National Languages Strategy makes positive mention of multilingualism in principle, there is still no concrete dedicated space for actively fostering multilingualism within the English national curriculum, beyond the notion of foreign languages education, and no significant centralised governmental guidance on EAL has been produced since 2009. While the study is situated within the context of England, the meaningful engagement of pupils' multiple languages in the classroom is a global issue, as highlighted in the literature review, and as such, the study has global ramifications in its ramifications and recommendations.
Even over the course of a single interview, many participants stated that the space to reflect on the affordances of multilingualism, and ways to integrate them in the classroom, was helpful. As such, we propose that professional conversations to create reflective spaces where staff are able to explore their beliefs and attitudes towards multilingualism, could be a powerful tool for staff development, in the absence of the availability of more structured and long-term teacher training opportunities.
By developing policies to include practices which not only encourage a multilingual world view, but actively facilitate multilingualism through targeted activities which enable students to make use of all their languages - and have them valued - in formal education contexts, the curricular deficit model perpetuated for so long by the monolingual habitus could be addressed, seeing multiple languages, not as distinct and separate languages in one body, but as a holistic, single identity, which needs to be respected and nurtured. Allowing and enabling children to draw on their full linguistic repertoire in order to succeed will facilitate teachers to move on from a state of enforced inert benevolence, to a position where they are able to act on the growing demand of those that view multilingualism in schools as a social justice issue. Importantly, such policies would not only support multilingual children, but help to prepare all children to live and thrive in a multilingual world.
Early education policy makers as collective agents in rethinking local language education policy towards diversity
Oral Presentation[SYMP13] AILA ReN - Social and affective factors in home language maintenance and development10:15 AM - 06:00 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/19 08:15:00 UTC - 2024/07/19 16:00:00 UTC
The aim of this study was to explore collective agency of early education policymakers in a period of change. Our research questions were: What characterizes the collective agency of policy makers in early childhood education in a multilingual context? What are their agentic approaches towards challenges of linguistically and culturally diverse preschool classrooms? What is their vision of the future of early language education policy in the city? The study was implemented as a case‐study, and ethnography-oriented research since we conducted classroom observations with focus on language policy documents, photographs of classroom language landscape, and language resources provided by the policymakers. The main data consisted of video‐taped zoom focused group discussions and seven individual interviews in which heads of the early childhood education municipal department and the Ministry of Education department reflected on histories of their collective agency, beliefs and practices, and life knowledge, and the critical events in the 'language leading team' during 2020-2021. We found that education policy makers' transformative thinking drew largely on change emerging from their own life experiences, and awareness of past mistakes. To conclude, bottom-up language education policy initiatives can be instrumental in achieving changes in educational beliefs and practices.
Study background The target city is situated in the northern area of Israel. Most of its residents are immigrants from all over the world. The linguistic and cultural diversity of the city poses many challenges in managing preschool education, due to lack of clearly declared early language education policy and planning, lack of professional knowledge and skills in approaching this diversity, and a relatively slow progress of children's competence in the societally dominant language, Hebrew. Over the last years, the failure of preschool education to meet the needs of the highly heterogeneous preschool population urged local early-years educationalists, policymakers and parents address the challenges more effectively. One of the main questions raised is: What is the place of home languages and cultural funds of knowledge in a preschool classroom? As a first step towards the development of early language education policy, local policymakers initiated a forum, a 'language leading team,' aimed to influence their own work. The forum's meetings focused on changes in policymakers' attitudes towards LCD in the classrooms and planning actions aimed to empower LCD children and their families.
Method This study was implemented as a case‐study, using purposeful sampling. In addition, it was also ethnography-oriented research since we conducted classroom observations with focus on language policy documents, photographs of classroom language landscape, and language resources provided by the policymakers. The main data consisted of video‐taped zoom focused group discussions and seven individual interviews in which heads of the early childhood education municipal department and the Ministry of Education department reflected on histories of their collective agency, beliefs and practices, individual experience, personal professional and life knowledge, and the most critical events in the 'language leading team' in the years 2020-2021. Results Our analysis revealed the following characteristics of collective agency: (1) planning changes in language education policy in the city's preschools by creating a community of practice; (2) high level of commitment to preschool pedagogical staffs and families; (3) critical reflections on gained experience and rethinking attitudes towards LCD in the classrooms; (4) practical steps in approaching linguistically and culturally responsive teaching; and (5) future visions and long-term expectations from engagement in times of change. We found that education policy makers' transformative thinking drew largely on change emerging from their own life experiences, and awareness of past mistakes. The participants manifested their agency also in reporting on proactive actions, in line with changes in their attitudes. These actions encompass recruiting forces from the academy, engaging social mediators, preparing for welcoming new coming LCD families, creating language mediating resources for teaching staff such as multilingual vocabularies and games to improve their communication with LCD families. Conclusions This study proposes an agency-centered approach as a means of understanding and promoting educational change. Bottom-up language education policy initiatives can be instrumental in achieving changes in educational beliefs and practices. Collective agency of policy makers is manifested in their belief in their self-efficacy in supporting teachers facing LCD in preschool classrooms.
Presenters Mila Schwartz Head Of Research Authority , Oranim College Of Education
On the challenges of (early) multilingual education in complex minority contexts
[SYMP13] AILA ReN - Social and affective factors in home language maintenance and development10:15 AM - 06:00 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/19 08:15:00 UTC - 2024/07/19 16:00:00 UTC
This contribution shines light on the challenges of multilingual pedagogies in the complex minority setting of South Tyrol, a trilingual province in Northern Italy, where three autochtonous language communities – each with their own school system and language education policies coexist. The paper first sketches the politico-historical context and examines the impact that different politico-ideological perspectives have on language policies and teaching practices in German, Italian and Ladin schools in the region. It then reports on research into the development of early multi-competence carried out in variously multilingual contexts in the region. Findings will be discussed against the background of persisting misconceptions vis-á-vis multilingualism in general and the implementation of multilingual schooling in particular. The paper closes with an outlook and suggestions for a multilingual pedagogy for complex sociolinguistic contexts as constituted by the trilingual region of South Tyrol.
This contribution shines light on the challenges of multilingual pedagogies in the complex minority setting of South Tyrol, a trilingual province in Northern Italy, where three autochtonous language communities – each with their own school system and language education policies coexist. The paper first sketches the politico-historical context and examines the impact that different politico-ideological perspectives have on language policies and teaching practices in German, Italian and Ladin schools in the region. It addresses issues like cultural pride and identity loss in the face of a (purportedly) threatening majority language and the resultant preoccupation with language(s) separation and linguistic purity in the classroom. The paradoxon of holding on to a monolingual-based ideology and at the same time seeking to promote multilingualism is spotlighted. We will look at how this plays out in the classroom, and how top-down policies and bottom-up inititives are implemented for the three language communities. Examples are provided for successful multilingual classroom approaches. Particular attention is given to the primary school level. Finally, the paper reports on research into the development of early multi-competence carried out in variously multilingual contexts in the region. The results point to significant effects of multilingual socialisation and formal multilingual education. Findings will be discussed against the background of persisting misconceptions vis-á-vis multilingualism in general and the implementation of multilingual schooling in particular. The theoretical framework for this contribution is provided by Dynamic Systems Theory and more specifically by the Dynamic Model of Multilingualism (Herdina & Jessner 2002) and the recently proposed Complexity Framework for Multilingual Competence, short CFMC (Hofer submitted). Accordingly, the author's understanding of (multiple) language competence is informed by a holistic multilingualism-oriented epistemology. The paper closes with an outlook and suggestions for a multilingual pedagogy for complex sociolinguistic contexts as constituted by the trilingual region of South Tyrol. References Alber, E. (2012). South Tyrol's Education System: Plurilingual Answers for Monolingual Spheres? L'Europe en formation –Journal of Studies on European Integration and Federalism, 363, 399-415. Alcock, A. (2001). The South Tyrol Autonomy. A Short Introduction. County Londonderry, Bozen/Bolzano. Egger, K. (1977). Zweisprachigkeit in Südtirol. Bozen: Athesia. Ghirardo, C. (2009). Skeptische Hermeneutik als Herausforderung zweitsprachlicher Lehre in Südtirol. Untersuchung zur besonderen Situation an italienischen Oberschulen. Bozen/Klagenfurt: Alpha beta/Drava. Gobbo, F. (2018). How to measure linguistic justice? Theoretical considerations and the South Tyrol case study of the Calvet Language Barometer. In Kraus, P. A. & F. Grin (eds.), The politics of multilingualism europeanisation, globalisation and linguistic governance. 145–165. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Herdina, P. & Jessner, U. (2002). A Dynamic Model of Multilingualism. Changing the Psycholinguistic Perspective. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Hofer, B. (2017). „Emergent multicompetence at the primary level: a dynamic conception of multicompetence". In: Language Awareness 1-17. Hofer, B. & Allgäuer-Hackl, E. (2018). „A dynamic view of multilingual learning: the common plurilingual curriculum from a DMM perspective". In: Zeitschrift für Fremdsprachenforschung 29/ 2, 245-269. Themenheft Gesamtsprachcurriculum.
Supporting home language literacy practices through plurilingual pedagogy in Australian primary school settings
Oral Presentation[SYMP13] AILA ReN - Social and affective factors in home language maintenance and development10:15 AM - 06:00 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/19 08:15:00 UTC - 2024/07/19 16:00:00 UTC
More than 20 percent of Australians speak a language other than English at home. However, attrition amongst second generation migrants is very common (Eisenchlas, Schalley & Guillemin, 2013). Home language literacy practices are likely to disappear faster given that they are often unnecessary to daily communication (Ibid.). In this presentation, we will discuss how teachers can promote reading and writing in the home language, thereby providing support for maintenance of these practices at home. We explore how this can be achieved through the introduction of plurilingual pedagogy in the classroom. Internationally, a holistic understanding of literacy practices for (emergent) bi/multilingual learners is becoming increasingly promoted to teachers in general (e.g. Chumak-Horbatsch, 2019), and is also being promoted in the Australian state of Victoria through the English-as-an-additional-language (EAL) curriculum. Data is drawn from a Government-funded designed-based study on the incorporation of plurilingual strategies in primary school classrooms. The design-based approach of the study relied on iterative sub-cycles of analysis and exploration, design and construction, and evaluation and reflection (McKenney & Reeves, 2018). Researchers and teachers worked together to develop strategies that drew on established research and situated practices. Eight primary school teachers from five Victorian Government schools, who were all working with language-background-other-than-English (LBOTE) students, took part in a two-day (non-consecutive) professional learning program developed by the research team. The aim was to help teachers think through strategies that linked to their particular teaching contexts and teaching objectives. The strategies included (1) ways to become familiar with students' home language practices, (2) activities that identified similarities and differences between languages, and (3) student creation of multimodal, bi/multilingual digital texts. Teachers devised lesson sequences specifically for their context with the support of the research team, then taught and reflected on these lessons. Data comprised lesson sequences, teacher reflection and interviews, student work samples and student reflection. This was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2019). In the study, teacher-initiated support for home language literacy practices was found to lead to greater student engagement with these practices. The strategies used by the teachers were multimodal. They incorporated different kinds of meaning-making that were informed by the experiences of the students and the available resources. The students engaged with different scripts often with the assistance of a spoken version of the home language, and the main approach was the active inclusion of teacher assistants who shared languages with students and Google Translate.
References Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2019) Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 11(4), 589-597, https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1628806. Chumak-Horbatsch, R. (2019). Using linguistically appropriate practice: A guide for teaching in multilingual classrooms. Multilingual Matters. Eisenchlas, S., Schalley, A., & Guillemin, D. (2013). The importance of literacy in the home language: The view from Australia. SAGE Open, 3(4), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1007/2158244013507270. McKenney, S. & Reeves, T.C. (2018). Conducting educational design research (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Heritage Language Education during COVID-19: New Opportunities and Challenges
Oral Presentation[SYMP13] AILA ReN - Social and affective factors in home language maintenance and development10:15 AM - 06:00 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/19 08:15:00 UTC - 2024/07/19 16:00:00 UTC
During COVID-19 the school has entered the home in a unique way, where the parents act as primary guides who support the children's learning at home (UNESCO, 2020). Even though research has shown that the lockdown has offered mostly favourable conditions for the heritage language learning (Afreed & Norton, 2021; Sheng et al. 2021), not much is known about the way the learning space in a multilingual family has been organized and affected by the pandemic conditions and about the dynamics between heritage and majority language in these families. Given the intense space and time sharing that families have experienced during COVID-19, the present study aims to explore how the pandemic conditions affected the acquisition of heritage and majority languages and the dynamics of this interaction. In particular, we aim to explore: (1) what were the families' experiences of heritage and majority language learning during COVID-19 intense period of the lockdown and (2) what new opportunities the COVID-19 era provided to the multilingual families in the five countries with different lockdown policies. In order to answer our research questions, a qualitative study with 50 semi-structured interviews (ten in each country) was conducted during spring 2022. We employed interpretative phenomenological analysis. An overarching theme of finding new (technical) solutions to enhance language learning was identified. Constant access to digital technologies provided new opportunities for learning the languages, for instance remote lessons in a heritage language and even individual tutorials. However, when formal schooling moves home, the parents become not only the guides who support the children's learning at home (UNESCO, 2020), but rather, the learning of both heritage and majority languages becomes the primary responsibility of some parents (or viewed as such). The pedagogical and research implications of the lessons distilled from the intense period of the lockdown will be discussed.
References Afreen, A., & Norton, B. (2021). COVID-19 and heritage language learning. https://rsc-src.ca/en/voices/covid-19-and-heritage-language-learning Sheng, L., Wang, D., Walsh, C., Heisler, L., Li, X., & Su, P. L. (2021). The bilingual home language boost through the lens of COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology, 3012. UNESCO (2020). UNESCO COVID-19 Education Response – Education Sector issue notes no.23 April 2020 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000373512
Presenters Anna Ritter Research Associate, University Of Duisburg-EssenAnastassia Zabrodskaja Professor Of Intercultural Communication, Tallinn University
“Mon école bilingue”: Effects of children reflecting on their bilingual education and emerging plurilingual identities.
Oral Presentation[SYMP13] AILA ReN - Social and affective factors in home language maintenance and development10:15 AM - 06:00 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/19 08:15:00 UTC - 2024/07/19 16:00:00 UTC
Australia is a multilingual nation, yet a monolingual bias persists as evidenced in 'English only' attitudes, both in society and educational contexts (Eisenchlas & Shoecraft, 2022). This monolingual mindset means there are limited opportunities for children to incorporate their full linguistic repertoire in schools and peer interactions, or to recognise value in their home languages in school settings. The present was conducted in a bilingual French/English school in Australia, exploring an innovative curriculum project designed to promote peer learning, the development of French language competency and increase students' understanding of their bilingual selves. This project involved children in grade 3 and 4 creating a video about their bilingual school (Mon école bilingue), by first writing a dialogue script in French followed by filming their video using iPads. Data was collected from classroom observations, informal conversations with children, and interviews with the teachers. Many children in this program identify French as their home language, whilst others are bilingual. The findings of this study highlight the benefits of translanguaging pedagogies and group work to promote the use of the French language. Reflective activities, such as those described here, also facilitate a sense of pride in their home languages and bilingual selves.
This paper argues for the inclusion of translanguaging pedagogies, group work, and reflective activities for emerging plurilingual children in order to activate social and emotional factors related to language learning. Social and emotional factors are widely recognised as vital components of language learning (Arnold, 2011). Group work activities provide children with opportunities to practice their language skills and share knowledge – of languages and content. Children naturally engage in translanguaging practices during peer interactions, regardless of classroom 'rules' around language separation (García, 2017), but instead of hindering development, these interactions can enable children to engage more meaningfully in their language learning. In addition, conscious reflection on plurilingual identities involves affective factors and recognising emotions related to language learning. The present study was located in a bilingual French/English primary school in Australia. The purpose was to implement and evaluate an innovative curriculum project to support students' language development through group work and the use of technology. Children in grade 3 and 4 created a video about their bilingual school (Mon école bilingue), by first writing a dialogue script in French followed by filming their video using iPads. Data was collected from classroom observations, informal conversations with children, and interviews with the teachers. This project provided a rich context for children to reflect on their bilingual environment and their plurilingual identities. They employed social learning strategies, including translanguaging, during group interactions. Children's reflections on their plurilingual identities also supported affective factors of language learning. For example, in their discussions and videos, they expressed their likes and dislikes with regards to the bilingual program and the reasons they were in the program. They became aware of their own feelings towards language learning and recognised individual differences among the group. Due to its location in an English majority country, the majority language spoken at the school is English. However, this project, and the translanguaging strategies in particular, encouraged students to develop pride in their French language, their 'French' identities and contributed to their French language development. During group work activities, the children were discussing ideas for the project using both French and English resources but were then capable of transferring these ideas into a 'French only' script. When writing the script, they helped each other with grammar, spelling, etc. using both French and English resources, thus employing social strategies as well as applying metalinguistic knowledge to the development of French language competency. Similarly, when recording the video, they assisted each other with memorising their lines and with French pronunciation. These findings highlight the benefits of translanguaging pedagogies to support children's home language maintenance and development in a bilingual school setting. This study setting was specific as a formal bilingual setting and therefore staff and students were generally more open to the inclusion of multiple languages in the classroom. However, the findings of the study and the potential benefits of these types of pedagogies and activities that are inclusive of home languages are relevant to all classroom environments where multilingual children are present.
Mila Schwartz
Anna Ritter
Anastassia Zabrodskaja
Kelly Shoecraft
