TY - JOUR

T1 - 'I like exploring other languages': Primary and Lower Secondary Students’ Attitudes towards Plurilingual Education

AU - Daryai-Hansen, Petra

AU - Drachmann, Natascha

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - While teachers’ beliefs about plurilingual education are widely studied, there is a gap in research exploring learners’ orientations. Drawing on a conceptualisation of plurilingual education distinguishing between three pluralistic approaches to languages and a transversal dimension focusing on learners’ language resources, the article investigates primary and lower secondary students’ attitudes towards plurilingual education in response to plurilingual education being implemented in the students’ language teaching. Based on interview data collected in amultiple-case study from majority and minority language students in Grades 1, 5 and 7, the analysis displays consistent learner positivity towards plurilingual education, especially emphasising the éveil aux langues approach whereas the integrated didactic approach as well as intercomprehension between related languages receive less attention. The findings indicate that the attitudes towards plurilingual education are linked to the learners’ language resources creating a framework for the students’ encounters and comparisons with other languages. Combining the findings and research literature on plurilingualism as a universal criterion for all learners in a modern, globalised world, the article suggests a continuum of the learner’s plurilingualism. However, the findings reveal that experienced plurilingual education contexts do not only foster positive attitudes towards linguistic diversity, but that discriminating language-hierarchising attitudes co-exist.

AB - While teachers’ beliefs about plurilingual education are widely studied, there is a gap in research exploring learners’ orientations. Drawing on a conceptualisation of plurilingual education distinguishing between three pluralistic approaches to languages and a transversal dimension focusing on learners’ language resources, the article investigates primary and lower secondary students’ attitudes towards plurilingual education in response to plurilingual education being implemented in the students’ language teaching. Based on interview data collected in amultiple-case study from majority and minority language students in Grades 1, 5 and 7, the analysis displays consistent learner positivity towards plurilingual education, especially emphasising the éveil aux langues approach whereas the integrated didactic approach as well as intercomprehension between related languages receive less attention. The findings indicate that the attitudes towards plurilingual education are linked to the learners’ language resources creating a framework for the students’ encounters and comparisons with other languages. Combining the findings and research literature on plurilingualism as a universal criterion for all learners in a modern, globalised world, the article suggests a continuum of the learner’s plurilingualism. However, the findings reveal that experienced plurilingual education contexts do not only foster positive attitudes towards linguistic diversity, but that discriminating language-hierarchising attitudes co-exist.

UR - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01434632.2024.2336098

U2 - https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2024.2336098

DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2024.2336098

M3 - Journal article

SP - 1

EP - 15

JO - Journal of Multilingual & Multicultural Development

JF - Journal of Multilingual & Multicultural Development

SN - 0143-4632

ER -