Language for Social Cohesion: Toward Plurilingualism and Pluriculturalism

in Language Education

Angelica Galanteangelica.galante@mail.utoronto.ca

May 31, 2018Fredericton, NB, Canada

4th Policy Forum on Strength through Diversity

Outline

o Key Issues in Language Education

o Plurilingualism as Pedagogy

o Findings from a Study in Canada: Benefits and Challenges of Plurilingual Instruction

o Future Directions and Implications

Key Issues

Canada is officially bilingual (English/French) but languages are often seen as separate entities

Despite its bilingual nature, language education is typically delivered in a monolingual way

Number of immigrants and refugees continue to grow

Number of immigrant languages is on the rise

2011 - 2016

Number of speakers of an immigrant language as a mother tongue increased

from 6.8 to 7.7 million (13%)

2016

More people speak an indigenous language as an additional language (228,770) than as a mother tongue

(213,225)

Over 200 languages are spoken in Canada

Nearly 60 indigenous and 140 immigrant languages

Monolingualism is the exception

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Toronto: Multilingual Setting46% speak an immigrant language as a first language(Statistics Canada, 2016)

Learning one language as an attempt to blend in is not

compatible with a society

that is increasingly

diverse

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How can language educators address the needs of an

increasingly linguistically and culturally diverse society?

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Monolingual Bilingual Multilingual

Plurilingualism(Coste, Moore & Zarate, 2009; Council of Europe, 2001, 2018; Marshall & Moore, 2016;

Piccardo, 2013; Canagarajah, 2009; Taylor & Snoddon, 2013)

ى

Português

English Español

中文

عربى

Français Inuktitut

한국어

Italiano

CreeΕλληνικά

Creole

עִבִרית Deutsche

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Plurilingualism & PluriculturalismCouncil of Europe, 2001, 2018

Language/culture integration rather than separation

Heterogeneity rather than homogeneity

Competence in the languages/cultures vary

The “native speaker” model is unrealistic

Mix of languages/cultures rather than purity

Individuals have one repertoire with several languages/cultures

Encourages people to learn additional languages/cultures

Individuals have agency over their linguistic and cultural repertoire

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Good ClassroomPractices

Cross-cultural comparisons(CoE, 2001; 2017)

Comparons nos langues(Auger, 2004)

Languaging(Swain, 2006; 2010)

Translanguaging(Williams, 1994; 1996; Cenoz & Gorter, 2015)

Intercomprehension(Doyé, 2005)

Exploration of linguistic and cultural landscapes(CoE, 2001; 2017)

Harnessing full repertoire(Piccardo, 2013; 2017)

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Canadian Study

What are affordances and challenges of plurilingual instruction compared to

monolingual instruction?Three Main Areas

1.  Plurilingual and Pluricultural Competence2.  Academic Vocabulary Retention3.  Overall Affordances and Challenges

(Galante, forthcoming)

English Language Teachers Delivered Two Different Types of Instruction

Treatment Group Plurilingual

Comparison Group Monolingual

Student Participants

Treatment Group Plurilingual

Comparison Group Monolingual

Plurilingual Tasks Used are Available at

www.breakingtheinvisiblewall.com

Instruments1. Demographic Questionnaire (T & C)2. Plurilingual and Pluricultural Competence Scale (PPCS) (T & C)3. Weekly Learner Diary Entries (T)4. Classroom Observations (T) (start, mid-point, end)5. Focus Groups (T)6. Teacher Interviews (T & C)7. Vocabulary Test (T & C)

PPC Scale

24 items

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What are potential affordances and

challenges of plurilingual instruction?

Finding 1

Plurilingual instruction has a positive effect on students’ plurilingual and pluricultural competence over time

Students who received

plurilingual instruction had an increase on pluirlingual and

pluricultural competence

over time

T1:treatment(M=2.97,SD=.30)andcomparison(M=2.95,SD=.32),t(127)=.33,p=.74.T2:treatment(M=3.15,SD=.28)andcomparison(M=3.02,SD=.32),t(127)=2.52,p=.013

Finding 2

Plurilingual instruction has a positive effect on students’ academic

vocabulary retention

StudentswhoreceivedplurilingualinstrucEonhadhighervocabularyscoresattheendofthelanguageprogram

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Treatment Comparison

Treatment (M=6.14, SD=1.50) and comparison (M=5.36, SD=1.57); t(127) = 2.81, p = .006

Finding 3

Plurilingual instruction has several affordances

Students’ Perceptions of Affordances of Plurilingual Instruction

Teachers’ Perceptions of Affordances of Plurilingual Instruction

First of all, I would really like to say that I am really impressed about this task. Since in normal practices that we are doing in the class does not show us how deep and different can be another culture. I have been in the same class with these students for such a long time and I didn’t know that China has totally different dialects from province to province. Moreover, this task was really useful for communicating and learning my group mates interests and abilities. I am really happy, I wish we will have more tasks like this one. Sunshine

Challenges

Schools’ English-only Policy

Shift from Monolingual to

Plurilingual Mindset

Lack of Support from Policy and

School Administrators

Lack of Training in Plurilingual

Instruction

Future Directions and Implications1.  Practical application of plurilingualism is a

challenge2.  Inclusion of plurilingualism in teacher

education is needed3.  Teachers need to be supported by policies

and school administration4.  Teachers who have a monolithic mindset may

face more challenges5.  A paradigm shift is needed

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From Monolingual

and Monocultural

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To Plurilingual

and Pluricultural

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For more information:www.breakingtheinvisiblewall.com

Gracias Grazie

ObrigadaMiigwetch

Merci

Спасибо

唔該

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