Multilingual Education Research Articles

Multilingual pedagogies ― towards more equitable education?

I scrutinise six multilingual pedagogical approaches (MPA), such as translanguaging pedagogy, language awareness and linguistically responsive teaching, which promise to make education more equitable by encouraging students to employ all their linguistic resources. Equitable education enables the same opportunities and access for everyone and it is reached through practices guided by the principles of social justice, but whether and how these aims are concretely achieved varies from MPA to another. In the analysis, I examine their strengths and weaknesses and ask whether multilingual pedagogy can make education more equitable. For the MPAs, representation of languages, acknowledging students’ language skills and scaffolding access to the academic register are the main instruments in advocating for a socially just school. Some of them acknowledge aspects of cultural or racial inequity, but in general they focus mainly on language(s). Power, empowerment, and criticality are frequently mentioned, but comprehensive discussion on how to address them in school is not provided. Therefore, there is a danger that the multilingual pedagogies will be implemented as supporting celebratory multilingualism. Thus, I argue that the multilingual pedagogical approaches cannot effectively promote equitable practices unless the question of equity is centred and other categories for inequity are recognised.

Starting small: Engaging young learners with literacy through multilingual storytelling

In Australian schools, approximately 20% of young children are emergent bilinguals, who are simultaneously developing their home languages while learning through English. While many teachers recognise the benefits of multilingual teaching approaches in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms, there remains a significant level of uncertainty about how to enact them. These approaches depend heavily on teachers’ ability to leverage young learners’ cultural and linguistic funds of knowledge, as well as to apply pedagogies that engage the full range of their linguistic abilities. To effectively develop these strategies, many teachers require additional support. This paper presents a study in which researchers collaborated with a classroom teacher to initiate a multilingual storytelling project aimed at children aged six to seven. The objective was to explore the potential of multilingual storytelling to engage young emergent bilingual learners in early reading and writing activities. Our findings indicate that this pedagogical approach, rooted in the principles of translanguaging, significantly enhanced the students' engagement with literacy. By validating their home languages and cultural identities, the project provided strong support for their oral language development, demonstrating the effectiveness of integrating multilingual practices in the foundational years of education.

Critical Multilingual Literacy Awareness (CMLA) as a Catalyst for Developing Students' Critical Thinking Literacy in Literature

This article explores the impact of Critical Multilingual Literacy Awareness (CMLA) on enhancing critical thinking skills among literature students. By integrating multilingual texts with critical literacy practices, CMLA fosters a more nuanced approach to literary analysis, encouraging students to engage deeply with diverse linguistic and cultural perspectives. The study employs a qualitative case study methodology, involving 30 undergraduate literature students from varied linguistic backgrounds, and utilizes classroom observations, interviews, and written assignments to assess outcomes. Findings reveal significant improvements in students' abilities to conduct comparative analyses, understand contextual nuances, and engage in reflexive thinking. The results underscore the transformative potential of CMLA in literature education, advocating for its broader implementation to cultivate critical thinking and intercultural competence in an increasingly interconnected world. This research not only contributes to the academic discourse on multilingualism in education but also provides practical strategies for educators seeking to enrich their teaching practices.

An eMERGEing definition of patient engagement in genetic counseling.

The concept of patient engagement has been widely studied for decades in the fields of medicine, nursing, psychology, social science, public health, and policy, and increased levels of patient engagement have been shown to improve health outcomes and strengthen reported experiences of care. Despite this, little research has been done to evaluate what patient engagement looks like within the context of a genetic counseling session. Additionally, there is limited literature from researchers based in the United States that aims to better understand patient engagement in non-English-speaking populations. This study is part of a larger protocol entitled "Multilingual Education Research in Genetic counseling Engagement (MERGE)," and it explores the elements that make up patient engagement in the context of pre-test genetic counseling for hereditary cancer risk among English- and Spanish-speaking patients. Eligible patients were 18 years or older at the time of their genetic counseling visit, had a personal or family history of breast cancer (if English-speaking) or a personal or family history of any cancer (if Spanish-speaking), and had not previously been seen for hereditary cancer genetic counseling. Out of 40 enrolled participants, 60% of patients (24/40) were English-speaking, while 40% of patients (16/40) were Spanish-speaking. In this study, English transcripts were generated from audio-recordings of clinical, standard-of-care genetic counseling sessions. The transcripts were qualitatively coded by two raters using an inductive approach, allowing for big Q thematic analysis. Six major themes were identified, describing ways in which patients show engagement and participate in decision-making during a pre-test genetic counseling session. All data were analyzed collectively, as assessment of differences between the language groups was not a primary analysis question. From the six themes, a definition of patient engagement in genetic counseling is proposed such that it consists of four "components" that together promote shared decision-making: Application of Education; Expression of Emotions; Feelings of Ownership; and Therapeutic Alliance. This working definition of patient engagement in genetic counseling has overlap with previous research on patient engagement in healthcare and with the Reciprocal-Engagement Model of genetic counseling. Future research on this topic can investigate methods for measuring and improving patient engagement across different settings and service delivery models.

‘I hope you love it’: poetry, protest and posthumous publishing with and for Palestinian colleagues in Gaza during scholasticide

AbstractAfter 15 years of daily work with colleagues in Gaza on education for peace, multilingual education and life long learning the scholasticide and plausible risk of genocide in the Gaza Strip under Israeli aggression has changed how research and teaching can be undertaken. This short Point and Counterpoint contribution offers the statements and obituaries written by the UNESCO Chair at the University of Glasgow through the first year of the ongoing plausible genocide, under the protections of the language of international instruments, international humanitarian law. It proceeds using poetry and cries and clarifying statements which punctuate the silence which has been the dominating characteristic of the higher education institutions, with some rare exceptions, during a period of extreme violence against scholars, teachers, researchers and students.

Fostering Plurilingual Competence in Norwegian Lower Secondary Schools: Cross-linguistic Awareness in Bilingual Language Support Classes

This article investigates the use of the home language in bilingual subject instruction in Norwegian lower secondary schools and its role in raising cross-linguistic awareness and strengthening students’ plurilingual competence. Being a transitional language support offer, bilingual subject instruction has the potential to equip students with competences needed in mainstream schooling, as well as prepare them to use their holistic linguistic repertoires according to changing circumstances and needs. The study follows a qualitative research design and introduces spoken data from three classroom contexts. The analysis features dyadic interactions between one bilingual Polish teacher and three lower secondary students with Polish heritage, recorded during individual bilingual subject instruction classes. The findings show that the teacher uses an array of practices to uncover tacit linguistic knowledge and create new links between the language systems. Simultaneously, the home language plays a crucial role in metalinguistic activity and provides the students with a base for subject knowledge and understanding. The study contributes to the field of multilingual education by highlighting the bilingual teacher’s practices that lead to metalinguistic reflection and equip students with plurilingual competence.

Tongue-tied: Language-based exclusion at a South African university

The post-apartheid government in South Africa adopted a multilingual education policy to provide education in learners' home languages as a foundation for learning while promoting proficiency in at least two additional official languages. This marked a paradigm shift from the apartheid regime, which was characterised by racial segregation and discrimination, prioritising Afrikaans and English at the expense of indigenous African languages. Although widely celebrated, achieving the multilingual promise ushered in by the democratic dispensation remains a challenge for post-apartheid South African higher education. This study explored students' experiences of language-based discrimination at a selected South African university. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected from 20 purposively sampled final-year students through an open-ended questionnaire that was distributed electronically to students in the Education faculty and analysed thematically. The findings revealed that minority language speakers grappled with feelings of invisibility, alienation, frustration, and exclusion in their academic and social lives, making it difficult for them to engage fully in university life. Various coping mechanisms were also reported, demonstrating the agency of these minority groups; however, these were found to be insufficient. The study thus recommended prioritising inclusive language policies and training that foster lingua-cultural empathy among students and staff, among other things.

Supporting teacher dispositions towards translanguaging-for-learning in a Grade 9 mathematics classroom

Background: Our article argues that the role of translingual instruction in mathematics classrooms is under-recognised in South Africa, as policymakers, teacher educators, teachers, learners, and parents assume that mathematics is just about numbers and calculations and not language. This is despite findings on the value of using children’s familiar language resources in MacDonald (1991), code-switching for meaning-making in mathematics and science learning by Setati et al. (2002) and Probyn (2015), and the findings by Mbude (2019) on using isiXhosa for boosting mathematical and science skills.Objectives: The main aim of our article is to examine the role of the Languaging-for-Learning (L4L) project in fostering ‘supportive teacher dispositions’ to translanguaging and bilingual and multilingual education. We will accomplish this aim through description and analysis of one Grade 8 and Grade 9 mathematics teacher and her learners who participated in the project.Method: The study is a qualitative and interpretive linguistic ethnographic case study of a Grade 8 and Grade 9 mathematics teacher. The researchers used ethnographic methods to collect data and primarily draw on data transcribed from one of the video recordings of a lesson, fieldnotes of their classroom observations and still photographs from their classroom visits and L4L workshops. They used discourse analysis to interpret the data.Results: The research findings point to the critical role that fostering supportive teacher dispositions to translanguaging can play in teacher development and in supporting learners’ engagement and learning in multilingual mathematics classrooms.Contribution: Our contribution to the field has been in demonstrating pluriversality in mathematics classrooms, showing how translanguaging enhances meaning-making and participation and helps to give voice to learners.Conclusion: Having multilingual resources, collaboratively building knowledge and resources and team teaching with teachers played a role in supporting the teacher’s development in pedagogical translanguaging.

Evaluation of international educational programme student engagement in Spanish classes in a multilingual learning environment

Importance. The main goal of the study is to study the impact of multilingual education of uni versity students on the degree of their involvement in the educational process, as well as to prove the positive impact of involvement on the level of mastery of a second foreign language – Spanish. Although the impact of engagement on student achievement in traditional learning has previously been extensively researched, less is known about how it influences student learning in the context of multilingual learning. The research contributes to the study of student learning engagement in higher education by exploring the less studied context of learning in a multilingual environment.Materials and Methods. The study involves 2 groups of 3rd year undergraduate students (N = 47) of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. To identify the degree of student engage ment in the process of learning Spanish, questionnaires, testing and statistical methods are used.Results and Discussion. In the experimental group (N = 23), a multilingual approach is imple mented. In the control group (N = 24), the English Medium Instruction-based approach is used. The Student Engagement Scale is measured using the three most common dimensions identified by researchers (behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement). Paired samples Student’s t-test and Pearson’s correlation test are performed to analyze descriptive statistics.Conclusion. Based on the results of student engagement, it can be concluded that students in the experimental group show a higher level of emotional and cognitive activity.

Review of Melo-Pfeifer (2023): Linguistic Landscapes in Language and Teacher Education: Multilingual Teaching and Learning Inside and Beyond the Classroom

Review of Melo-Pfeifer (2023): Linguistic Landscapes in Language and Teacher Education: Multilingual Teaching and Learning Inside and Beyond the Classroom

Translating Blackness through youth language learning in the Dominican Republic

AbstractThis article presents findings from a six‐month Language and Social Justice course collaboratively designed with multilingual educators in the Dominican Republic. Teaching and learning processes with Dominican and Haitian youth (ages 18–24) illustrate how opportunities to learn about English and Kreyòl from a transnational perspective can disrupt dominant discourses about youth's relationships with themselves and each other. By intentionally focusing on counternarratives to notions that Dominican youth reject their Blackness and that Dominican and Haitian youth interact in tension rather than solidarity, this study highlights how youth “translate blackness” (García Peña, 2022) through language learning. Drawing from transnational literacy frameworks that engage the cultural and linguistic repertoires of Black youth in relationship with one another (Skerrett & Omogun, 2020; Smith, 2023) and from Black‐centered language pedagogies (Anya, 2017; Clemons, 2021b), I describe how youth negotiate meanings and orientations to Blackness through language and literacy practices.

Including adults and peers through translanguaging in literacy activities

ABSTRACT Translanguaging in reading activities in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) can result in child engagement, language learning and the development of multilingual identities. Few studies have explored the engagement of very young children and languaging when they participate in activities with both educators and parents. The present study therefore investigates the ways in which educators in two daycare centres and parents jointly supported children when the parents read in the home language as well as the children’s engagement and interactions. The observational and interview data were collected in Luxembourg where a multilingual education policy is in place in ECEC. The findings show that the parents used the home language on its own or together with the instructional language which, in turn, resulted in different emotional and instructional support and impacted children’s engagement and interactions differently. While the opportunities to hear and speak a home language other than the institutional one resulted in most children performing their multilingual identities, children only engaged with content, interacted with the parent, educator and peers, and included them when the adults translanguaged. The findings suggest that children and parents can benefit from collaborative reading events when the adults draw on children’s multilingual repertoires.

Language teacher emotional intelligence: A scoping review

The current study reviewed and synthesized empirical research on foreign/second language teacher emotional intelligence (EI) using a scoping review approach. Specifically, 15 articles published between 2018 and 2024 were included and analyzed with a particular emphasis on the theoretical perspectives, research themes, research background, and methodologies. The results indicated that there were a variety of models and theories in language teacher EI research, with the trait EI model and theories of self-efficacy and emotion regulation receiving the most attention. Moreover, most reviewed studies regarded language teacher EI as an independent variable or antecedent, examining its impact on other individual and environmental variables. Underdeveloped regions, other target languages apart from English, multilingual teachers, and primary or secondary school teachers haven’t received much attention in the included articles. Additionally, homogenization in research design among these studies was noticeable, with quantitative studies, cross-sectional design, and self-reported questionnaires being prevalent. Finally, implications were provided based on these findings for the further development of language teacher EI.

Implementing multilingual pedagogy in Finnish ECEC groups – from monolingual practices towards more systematic approaches

ABSTRACT The study explores the implementation of multilingual pedagogy in Finnish early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. Utilising the LangPeda assessment tool, data were collected from 82 ECEC groups across 47 centres. A qualitative content analysis was conducted to evaluate the pedagogical activities. Findings reveal that while systematic multilingual pedagogy can be implemented irrespective of children's ages or the proportion of multilingual children, only 10 per cent of the groups practiced it systematically. Many ECEC personnel showed narrow engagement with multilingual activities, often due to a lack of knowledge and confidence in supporting languages other than the institution's primary language, or English. Key features influencing the implementation of multilingual pedagogy include perspective to languages, parental engagement, the use of diverse languages, and multilingual activities. The research emphasises the importance of pedagogical choices and attitudes in creating supportive multilingual learning environments, underscoring the potential benefits of multilingual practices for all children. Despite the language policies, the study finds that many educators are not adequately prepared to implement these activities, often requiring self-reflection and adaptation of their teaching methods. The results underline the significance of supporting ECEC personnel through training and resources to meet the challenges of a linguistically diverse population.

Potentiality of Mother Tongue Instruction and Multilingual Education Approach to Teaching English at Primary Level

The objectives of this study were to explore the participants’ lived experiences on medium of instruction while teaching English in the classrooms and to explore the participants’ lived experiences on Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education approach to teaching English at primary level. Phenomenological research design was employed to complete this study. A set of questionnaires, interviews and discussion were the major research tools and three primary level English teachers were the sample population of this study. Phenomenological interviews and a set of questionnaires were used to collect the data. The collected data were transcribed, translated, coded and interpreted and analyzed thematically. The result of this study shows that a suitable medium of instruction is the most important factor and MTB-MLE approach is an effective approach to teach English language for the children of ethnic group people at pre-primary level. This study has implications for social change as teachers who engage in collaboration with colleagues and reflective practice will positively affect student achievement. Students may be taught by teachers who have the knowledge, skills, and attitude required for a successful implementation of a multilingual approach.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MULTILINGUALISM

The article systematically addresses challenges, including underfunded multilingual education programs and the erosion of indigenous languages due to globalization. It adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining literature review, case studies, and quantitative analysis, to ensure a robust and nuanced discussion. The findings emphasize the importance of embracing linguistic diversity to achieve sustainable development and inclusive societies.

Language Equality & Schooling: Global Challenges & Unmet Promises

Abstract In this essay, I examine unmet promises and global challenges for achieving language equality in schooling, with special focus on one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, SDG-4, which aims to ensure equitable and inclusive quality education and lifelong learning for all. Language of instruction is a key determinant of student success, but there is limited recognition of the vital role language plays as an intervening variable. Most languages continue to be excluded from education and 60 percent of out-of-school children live in regions where their own languages are not used at school. Inequities arising from unjust language policies combine to trap the poorest in a cluster of disadvantages persisting across generations. Underinvesting in education jeopardizes a range of social benefits. A well-educated population will increase the overall economic prosperity of a nation. I call for first language-based multilingual education as a pathway to schooling equality and sustainable development.

Multilingual Realities and English Teacher Construction in Indonesian Pesantren: A Narrative Inquiry

This study aimed to explore the construction of English teacher identity within the multilingual and religiously oriented environment of Indonesian pesantren through a narrative inquiry approach. Applying narrative inquiry, the study examined how teachers negotiate their religious and professional identities while balancing multiple language ideologies embodied in this educational context. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and reflective journals, providing rich narratives of teachers' experiences, challenges, and strategies in navigating their roles. Three key themes emerged: balancing language ideologies, the interplay between religious and professional identities, and multilingual practices in the classroom. The findings reveal the dynamic, context-responsive nature of teacher identity development within pesantren, highlighting how educators align religious values with pedagogical goals. This study addresses a critical gap by focusing on identity formation in faith-based multilingual education settings, offering new insights beyond secular or formal institutions. The implications contribute to broader discussions on teacher identity, multilingual education, and the intersection of language, religion, and teaching practices.

Translanguaging for learning in selected English First Additional Language secondary school classrooms

Background: The unequal learning outcomes and achievement gaps in language and literacy, particularly affecting poor and working-class children in South African schools, are longstanding issues. These disparities were highlighted once again in the poor literacy results of PIRLS 2021, indicating systemic challenges within the education system.Objectives: This article emanates from a Languaging-for-Learning (L4L) project, which holistically used approaches to integrate isiXhosa home language and English to validate and engage with the learners’ linguistic repertoires to open more opportunities to learn and read multilingually.Method: The research was conducted in two Western Cape township high schools with bilingual isiXhosa and English-speaking teachers and emergent bilingual learners. Five Grade 9 teachers’ English First Additional Language (EFAL) lessons were observed and recorded in 2023. The case study focused on shifts in teachers’ take-up of translanguaging strategies in EFAL lessons and their effective pedagogical use, especially in written form.Results: The findings revealed that bilingual teachers creatively incorporated teaching practices that allowed learners to transition between languages while learning EFAL. The study further indicates that bilingual education has the potential to be a valuable pedagogical strategy in contexts where exclusive use of English impedes effective learning.Conclusion: Yet again, the findings of this study accentuate the importance of incorporating and utilising learners’ home languages into the education process. A bilingual or multilingual pedagogical approach not only enriches the learning experiences but also acknowledges the linguistic diversity within the classroom, thereby making way for more effective and inclusive education practices.Contribution: This study contributes to the understanding of how a bilingual or multilingual teacher intervention can impact English teachers’ classroom practices positively. It emphasises the importance of recognising and embracing the language resources that learners bring to the classroom, highlighting the value of a bilingual pedagogical approach in promoting effective learning outcomes.

Incorporating translanguaging in English instruction: teachers’ beliefs, practices, and influencing factors

ABSTRACT The question of whether and to what extent should the learners’ language repertoire (LR) be incorporated into the teaching of English as an additional language has been controversial for decades. The findings reported in this paper are part of a large-scale research project funded by the Israeli Ministry of Education aiming to introduce a new multilingual education policy. This study investigates teachers’ beliefs and reported practices on the use of their learners’ LR in the teaching of English as an additional language. The background and contextual factors associated with teachers’ use of their learners’ LR were examined as well. Utilizing a mixed methods approach, data sources included online questionnaires (N = 253) distributed to EFL teachers, semi-structured interviews (N = 56), and focus groups (N = 5) with teachers and stakeholders (e.g. inspectors, counselors). The findings revealed two contradictory beliefs intertwined with teachers’ reported practices: a monolingual paradigm and a bi/multilingual perspective. Differences in teachers’ beliefs and reported practices were identified as a function of factors related to the teachers’ background, their role, and contextual factors related to the school setting. Implications for language teacher-training programs in contexts where English is taught as an additional language are also discussed.