Teachers' beliefs about the role of prior language knowledge in learning and how these influence teaching practices

Abstract

The present study was developed to assess teachers’ beliefs on (1) the role of prior language knowledge in language learning; (2) the perceived usefulness of language knowledge in modern society; and (3) the teaching practices to be used with multilingual students. Subjects were 176 secondary schoolteachers working in Italy (N=103), Austria (N=42), and Great Britain (N=31) who taught subjects ranging from languages to science, literature, or physical education. Teachers were asked to rate a series of statements on a 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree) Likert scale. The data were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis distribution-free test to identify differences in responses in the three countries. Overall results suggest that teachers in Italy, Austria, and Great Britain tend to share similar views on the three topics examined. The article discusses the need to introduce modules on multilingualism and language learning as a regular feature of teacher training programs as many teachers show beliefs that suggest little awareness of the cognitive benefits of multilingualism and of the usefulness of home language maintenance for students and their families.