Abstract
AbstractAdequately responding to linguistic diversity in the classroom is imperative in European school contexts, not least because of current migratory movements. This article presents the results of an intervention study with primary school English‐foreign‐language learners in Germany (N = 42, Mage = 8.70 years) from linguistically diverse backgrounds, who participated in a learning unit on the human body (five 45‐minute lessons). Drawing on multilingual education and second language motivational research, we encouraged children in the intervention group to use their linguistic resources, and they engaged with two affective‐experiential activities aimed at stimulating attitudinal aspects of learning. We investigated intervention effects through pre‐, post‐, and follow‐up tests. We measured affect after each lesson. The intervention group displayed higher plurilingual ideal self aspirations after the intervention and higher positive affect throughout the intervention. Importantly, the intervention group made significantly larger vocabulary learning gains than the control group despite spending less time on task.
Highlights
Current migratory movements, enhanced mobility across countries, and globalization processes have made schools all over Europe more diverse than ever
Migrant students and speakers of minority languages frequently experience that learning mainstream foreign languages, in particular English as a foreign language (EFL), is encouraged, but developing skills in their family languages is viewed as having little worth; family language use may even be prohibited
A multilingual perspective goes against ideologies of language separation and implies that language learners are emergent multilingual speakers who use resources from their whole linguistic repertoire when communicating and thinking (Cenoz & Gorter, 2014; Cummins, 2017)
Summary
Current migratory movements, enhanced mobility across countries, and globalization processes have made schools all over Europe more diverse than ever. According to the Council of Europe (2007), foreign language education stimulates attitudinal aspects of learning, contributing to more tolerant and open views among young Europeans in general and appreciation of linguistic diversity in particular: “[s]peakers’ awareness of their plurilingualism may lead them to give equal value to each of the varieties they themselves and other speakers use” A multilingual perspective goes against ideologies of language separation and implies that language learners are emergent multilingual speakers who use resources from their whole linguistic repertoire when communicating and thinking (Cenoz & Gorter, 2014; Cummins, 2017). The use of resources from the whole linguistic repertoire can stimulate positive attitudes and enhance language learning through the development of language and metalinguistic awareness. Linguistic repertoires can be useful when learning additional languages (Cenoz, 2019)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call