Fostering Language Awareness in a Plurilingual Learning Environment
Abstract
Developing young learners’ language awareness is becoming an important educational goal in a rapidly globalised world characterised by linguistic and cultural diversity. Drawing upon previous research in the field, the article highlights the importance of promoting language diversity and nurturing language awareness from an early age. We present a qualitative study’s findings to analyse the potential of using pluralistic approaches to language teaching for developing young learners’ language awareness. The study was based on a case study format involving pupils aged five and six years. By exposing the participants to a set of plurilingual activities following the DivCon model, we were able to observe and identify their language awareness development. In addition, the pupils’ responses to language awareness activities and their perceptions of different languages were analysed through a survey in the form of interviews. The results of the study indicate positive outcomes, demonstrating an enhanced level of language awareness among the pupils, as well as an increased appreciation for language diversity.
Downloads
References
Bialystok, E. (2001). Metalinguistic aspects of bilingual processing. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 21, 169–181.
Bratož, S., Pirih, A., & Štemberger, T. (2019). Identifying children’s attitudes towards languages: construction and validation of the LANGattMini Scale. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 42(3), 234–246.
Bratož, S. & Sila, A. (2021). Developing plurilingual competence at an early age. In C. J. McDermott & A. Kožuh (Eds.), Educational challenges (pp. 101–119). Department of Education, Antioch University.
Bratož, S. & Sila, A. (2022). Analysing preschoolers’ awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity through the DivCon model. Porta Linguarum Revista Interuniversitaria De Didáctica De Las Lenguas Extranjeras, 115–131.
Candelier, M., Camilleri, A., Castellotti, V., De Pietro, J. F., Lőrincz, I., Meißner, F. J., Noguerol, A., & Schröder-Sura, A. (2010). A framework of reference for pluralistic approaches to languages and cultures. Competences and resources. Council of Europe.
Candelier, M. & Kervran, M. (2018). 1997-2017: Twenty years of innovation and research about awakening to languages-Evlang Heritage. International Journal of Bias, Identity and Diversities in Education (IJBIDE), 3(1), 10–21.
Chen, G.-M., & Starosta, W. J. (1998–1999). A review of the concept of intercultural awareness. Human Communication, 2, 27–54.
Chik, A., & Melo-Pfeifer, S. (2020). What does language awareness look like? Visual methodologies in language learning and teaching research (2000–2018). Language Awareness, 29(3–4), 336–352.
Cots, J. M. (2008). Knowledge about language in the mother tongue and foreign language curricula. In N. H. Hornberger (Ed.), Encyclopedia of language and education (pp. 15–30). Springer.
Darquennes, J. (2017). Language awareness and minority languages. In J. Cenoz, D. Gorter & S. May (Eds.), Language awareness and multilingualism (Encyclopedia of language and education) (pp. 297–308). Springer.
Fidler, S. (2006). Awakening to languages in primary school. ELT Journal, 60(4), 346–354.
Finkbeiner, C. & White, J. (2017). Language awareness and multilingualism: A historical overview. In J. Cenoz, D. Gorter, & S. May (Eds.), Language awareness and multilingualism (Encyclopedia of language and education) (pp. 3–17). Springer.
García, O., & Otheguy, R. (2020). Plurilingualism and translanguaging: Commonalities and divergences. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 23(1), 17–35.
García, O. & Wei, L. (2014). Translanguaging: Language, bilingualism and education. Palgrave Macmillan.
Gombert, J. E. (1997). Metalinguistic development in first-language acquisition. In L. Van Lier & D. Corson (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Language and Education (Vol. 6). Springer.
Hawkins, E. (1999). Foreign language study and language awareness. Language Awareness, 8(3-4), 124–142.
Kurvers, J., van Hout, R., & Vallen, T. (2006). Discovering features of language: Metalinguistic awareness of adult Illiterates. In I. van de Craats, J. Kurvers, & M. Young-Scholten (Eds.), Low- Educated Second Language and Literacy Acquisition: Proceedings of the Inaugural Symposium Tilburg 2005 (pp. 69-88). LOT.
Laevers, F. (2005). Well-being and involvement in care settings. A process-oriented self-evaluation instrument. Kind & Gezin and Research Centre for Experiential Education.
Little, D., Leung, C., & Van Avermaet, P. (2013). Managing diversity in education: Languages, policies, pedagogies (Vol. 33). Multilingual Matters.
Mihaljevic Djigunovic, J. (1993). Investigation of attitudes and motivation in early foreign language learning. In M. Vilke & I. Vrhovac (Eds.), Children and foreign languages. Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zagreb.
Muñoz, C. (2014). Exploring young learners’ foreign language learning awareness. Language Awareness, 23(1-2), 24–40.
Nikolov, M. (1999). ‘Why do you learn English?’ ‘Because the teacher is short: A study of Hungarian children’s foreign language learning motivation. Language Teaching Research, 3(1), 33–56.
Oliveira, A. L., & Ançã, M. H. (2009). ‘I speak five languages’: Fostering plurilingual competence through language awareness. Language Awareness, 18(3-4), 403–421.
Pevec Semec, K. (2018). Mobile Teachers at Border Schools – Multilingualism and Interculturalism as New Challenges for Professional Development. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 8(4), 47-62.
Roehr-Brackin, K. (2018). Metalinguistic awareness and second language acquisition (1st ed.). Routledge.
Rutar, S. (2014). Multilingual learning and teaching as a principle of inclusive practice. Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies/Sodobna Pedagogika, 65(1), 10–25.
Sayers, D., & Láncos, P. L. (2017). (Re) defining linguistic diversity: What is being protected in European language policy? SKY Journal of Linguistics, 30, 35–73.
Svalberg, A. M. (2007). Language awareness and language learning. Language Teaching, 40(4), 287–308.
Szelei, N., & Alves, I. (2018). The missing link: Teacher learning for diversity in an area-based initiative in Portugal. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 8(3), 79–98.
Wagner, C. J. (2020). Multilingualism and reading identities in prekindergarten: Young children connecting reading, language, and the self. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 21(6), 1–16.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors are confirming that they are the authors of the submitted article, which will be published online in the Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal (for short: CEPS Journal) by University of Ljubljana Press (University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Kardeljeva ploščad 16, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia). The Author’s/Authors’ name(s) will be evident in the article in the journal. All decisions regarding layout and distribution of the work are in the hands of the publisher.
- The Authors guarantee that the work is their own original creation and does not infringe any statutory or common-law copyright or any proprietary right of any third party. In case of claims by third parties, authors commit themselves to defend the interests of the publisher, and shall cover any potential costs.
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
