36.634, Reviews: Multilingualism and Multiculturalism: Ong (2025)

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LINGUIST List: Vol-36-634. Wed Feb 19 2025. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 36.634, Reviews: Multilingualism and Multiculturalism: Ong (2025)

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Date: 18-Feb-2025
From: Teresa Wai See Ong [ongtesa at gmail.com]
Subject: Applied Linguistics, Language Acquisition: Ong (2025)


Book announced at https://linguistlist.org/issues/35-2597

Title: Multilingualism and Multiculturalism
Subtitle: Language Teaching and Learning
Series Title: Language Learning and Multilingualism
Publication Year: 2024

Publisher: Brill
           http://www.brill.com
Book URL: https://brill.com/display/title/70546

Author(s): Sviatlana Karpava

Reviewer: Teresa Wai See Ong

Summary
Multilingualism and Multiculturalism: Language Teaching and Learning,
edited by Sviatlana Karpava, contains an Introductory chapter and 10
chapters grouped into three parts. The first part, representing the
theme ‘Multilingual, Multicultural and Inclusive Education’, has three
chapters. The second part has four chapters based on the theme
‘Linguistic and Cultural Diversity: Multilingual and Intercultural
Teaching Practices’. The third and final part focuses on
‘Multilingualism: Intercultural Competence, Language Identity,
Metalinguistic Awareness’ has three chapters.
The Introduction, written by the editor, introduces the topic of
multilingualism and multiculturalism for teaching and learning. In
this globalised era, increased mobility has expanded multilingualism
in diverse classrooms and prompted the development of teacher training
programs. Due to the training received, many educators have become
more aware of their students’ linguistic and cultural needs and have
realized that it is important to promote equity and equality in their
classrooms through effective strategies. Educators’ language beliefs
are also vital in expanding their teaching methods to cater to their
students’ needs.
Chapter 1, written by Marta Guarda and Gisela Mayr, focuses on
reporting preliminary findings of a longitudinal study that examines
teachers’ beliefs about and experiences of inclusive plurilingual
education in South Tyrol, a region in Italy with three official
languages (German, Italian, and Ladin). In this region, socioeconomic
languages are favoured in school while minority languages of
immigrants have a marginalised role. Over the course of two years, the
authors collected data through several different tools such as a
questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews,
visual documentation, and class observations. They reported that
teachers challenged dominant monolingual ideologies, and their
ideological positioning was exhibited in their classroom practices.
This was also confirmed through their reflections during their
participation in COMPASS, a professional development initiative. The
authors concluded by suggesting that implementing an inclusive
translanguaging approach is not easily applicable in all classroom
contexts.
In Chapter 2, Chiew Hong Ng and Yin Ling Cheung conduct a
meta-synthesis on the literature, first to examine multilingualism and
inclusive education across preschool/elementary, secondary/high
school, and university levels, and second, to look into issues and
concerns when integrating multilingualism and inclusive education.
They found that there is an increasing interest in this topic within
the last decade; and half of the studies were related to
translanguaging as a pedagogical tool used for promoting inclusion. In
terms of integration, there always exist tensions and conflicts in
teachers’ language ideologies, and successful implementation of
translanguaging heavily depends on teachers’ beliefs and pedagogical
expertise. From this perspective, the authors’ research highlights
that translanguaging can be employed as a tool for developing
teachers’ linguistic and pedagogical knowledge.
Chapter 3 by Jakub Przybyt and Kamil Dtugosz discusses the four stages
of self-regulated (SR) language learning - planning, monitoring,
control, and reflection - via data collected from 128 full-time
undergraduate students majoring in various languages in a state-run
Polish university. The findings show that participants’ SR levels in
languages chosen as their majors were higher than English, which was
learnt as an additional language. Such scores indicate that previous
language learning experience can have a positive impact, but other
cognitive factors are also impacting learners (Berthele & Udry, 2022).
The authors conclude that while these findings shed light on general
patterns in SR language learning, further investigation involving
qualitative methods should be incorporated.
In Chapter 4, Mila Schwartz and Orit Dror examine, via seven
interviews and 12 workshop meetings, how preschool teachers in a small
city in the North of Israel developed their agency towards
linguistically and culturally diverse children (LCDC) during their
professional development. The authors found that they functioned as
language policymakers in their classrooms and embarked on the role of
interpreting, negotiating, and resisting when needed. The teachers’
reflections highlighted the importance of participation in
professional development, because it enhanced their self-efficacy when
working with the children. In light of the increase of LCDC worldwide,
the challenges faced by the teachers call for an in-depth exploration
into their difficulties so that gradual changes can be made in their
teaching approaches.
Chapter 5, written by Jasmin Peskoller and Aysel Kart, delves into
analysed data from two doctoral projects designed to explore
multilingual and intercultural teaching practices from the perspective
of 60 lower and upper secondary school students in Austria. These
students had migration experiences, and thus they speak more than one
language in their daily lives. The findings reveal that 42 lower
secondary students often reflect their multilingual opinions while the
18 upper secondary students often had their language and culture
associated with nationalities. The findings also revealed the
strengths and weaknesses of multilingualism derived from the students’
perspectives. Through this examination, the authors confirmed that the
growing linguistic and cultural diversity is rarely used as a teaching
resource, indicating the weak implementation of multilingual and
intercultural teaching practices. Hence, it is important to enhance
teachers’ understanding regarding this issue.
In Chapter 6, Tracey Costley, Hannah Gibson, Nacy C. Kula, and Colin
Reilly draw on linguistic ethnographic data such as interviews,
classroom observations, and focus group discussions to understand
teachers’ attitudes and experiences of teaching in their multilingual
classrooms in three neighbouring countries – Botswana, Tanzania, and
Zambia. Each country has its own medium of education, each documented
in its country’s education policy. The findings clearly show that in
practice, there is no consistent language policy across the three
country’s education systems. The implementation of language
regulations in classroom practice depends on the specific teacher,
which indicates that teachers have their own voices and standing.
Multilingual practices are also not clearly defined in teacher
training or professional development. The authors conclude that
adopting locally informed practices is most appropriate for supporting
inclusive learning environments.
Employing qualitative data, such as participant observations, field
notes, informal conversations, video-recorded lessons, and
semi-structured interviews, based on a year-long ethnographic case
study, Giselle Martinez Negrette in Chapter 7 investigates the
language ideologies motivating dual language (DL) program structures
in the United States and how they are manifested and embodied by
teachers and students. The author found that language separation and
allocation are important aspects related to curriculum and
instructional practices, as shown in the DL program. The data also
highlights that language ideologies and beliefs play a crucial role in
influencing the mediation of the program, including teacher’s
interpretation and pedagogical decisions. In concluding, the author
urges educational stakeholders to think critically from a more
holistic perspective about the significance of structural changes in
DL programs.
Sviatlana Karpava and Elena Kaourani in Chapter 8 present the
linguistic repertoires, language experiences, perceptions, attitudes,
and beliefs of 84 primary school children who were learning English as
a foreign language in Cyprus. Data were collected via focus group
discussions with the children regarding their completed language
portraits (LP). The authors found that English was primarily connected
with the colour red, which might be related to the UK’s national flag.
The children’s choice of body parts in the LP also indicated the
importance of English in their lives, particularly for their studies
and communication purposes, despite their knowing more than two
languages. Although different age groups demonstrated different
perceptions on their LP, in general, they demonstrated positive
attitudes toward multilingualism and multiculturalism. The authors
concluded the chapter by emphasising the need to continue this type of
research because it allows scholars to understand students’ and
teachers’ beliefs and attitudes towards inclusive education.
In Chapter 9, Eider Saragueta and Oihana Leonet employ ethnographic
methodology in the classroom of a public school within the Basque
Autonomous Community to examine the pedagogical practices related to
sustainable translanguaging as part of a pedagogical translanguaging
project. The participants consisted of 24 bilingual primary school
students who spoke fluent Basque and Spanish and were learning
English. The findings showed that the students were aware of the
historical ban on using Basque in school. Despite the increased
encouragement to use Basque at present, students continued to find it
challenging. Nevertheless, their bilingualism revealed their sense of
European identity, which is an illustration of the complex connection
between language and identity.
In the final chapter of the edited volume, Chapter 10, Sanna Riuttanen
explores the investment in Finnish language learning of Issaka, a male
African-origin migrant in his thirties who arrived in Finland in 2017.
Her research utilized discourse analysis of classroom recordings,
ethnographic fieldnotes, semi-structured interviews, and informal
conversations with Issaka. The findings demonstrate that Issaka was
surrounded by various discourses related to language learning,
studying, and working. Although he suffered from constant stress, as
did other migrants, he did not give up his dream of becoming an
architect one day. He continued to be optimistic about his future, and
this optimism acted as a motivator for his language investment. In
sum, Issaka’s complex combination of personal, social, institutional,
and societal factors influenced the multifaceted and fluid nature of
his language learning process.
Evaluation
In the contemporary world, societies are merging to live and work
together because of globalisation, increased mobility, and migration.
>From preschool to tertiary education, students representing different
ethnicities are learning together in the same classrooms despite
having different linguistic and cultural needs. Nevertheless, the
language policies of most countries emphasise using official/dominant
languages as mediums of instruction, which hinders the maintenance of
linguistic and cultural diversity. Although many educators are aware
of the importance of inclusive education, they face challenges in the
implementation in their classrooms because of different language
ideologies.
Hence, this edited volume addresses the issue by looking at macro-,
meso-, and micro-factors in developing a multilingual and
multicultural learning and teaching environment. The editor of this
volume and authors of the chapters are to be congratulated for
addressing issues related to multilingual, multicultural, and
inclusive education in various countries worldwide using innovative
methodologies such as language portraits of students.
Divided into three themes, the book represents different perspectives,
not solely that of the students or or that of the teachers. Each
chapter ends with a reference list that is useful for future research.
The first theme describes multilingual, multicultural, and inclusive
education based on teachers’ beliefs, synthesis of literature, and
students’ scores on questionnaires. The second theme focuses on
teaching practices, looking particularly at language ideologies and
processes related to how language use is regulated in multilingual
learning and teaching spaces. The third theme presents issues related
to visual representations of multilingual learning in daily lives.
Overall, this edited volume is beneficial to those researching
multilingual, multicultural, and inclusive education, because the
thought-provoking findings have addressed many unanswered questions.
Nevertheless, what remains to be done in future research is examining
parental’s concerns and perspectives, specifically what they believe
is most crucial and beneficial for their children’s language
development in the home environment and in society, and comparing this
to the type of learning practices children encounter in schools.
Additionally, more research remains to be conducted in Asia, as Asia
has an abundance of languages and a blend of western and Asian
families living together.
References
Berthele, R., & Udry, L. (2022). Multilingual boost vs. cognitive
abilities: Testing two theories of multilingual language learning in a
primary school context. International Journal of Multilingualism,
19(1), 142-161.
Reviewer
Teresa Wai See Ong holds a PhD in sociolinguistics from Griffith
University in Australia. She has widely published in areas such as
language maintenance and language shift, language planning and policy,
and linguistic landscape. At present, Teresa is working as a Learning
Support Specialist at Singapore University of Social Sciences in
Singapore. She co-investigates a project that focuses on understanding
student learning needs and perspectives.



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