This volume is an important instalment in the rapidly expanding literature on multilingualism in education and language teaching. Within multilingual studies the volume is highly innovative in its application of the concept, theory and perspectives of the Dominant Language Constellations (DLC). The volume reports original research on language education policy and practice which address contemporary DLC-informed multilingualism within family settings and institutional domains such as teacher education, primary and secondary schooling, and higher education. Deploying the DLC concept as an analytical and conceptual category the chapters explore both personal and institutional life of multilingualism, enriched through visualizations. Specific chapters examine issues connected to career opportunities of adults of refugee background in Norway, multilingual transnational couples, and language teacher preparation in settings as diverse as Austria, Canada, Finland, Iceland, Israel, and the Basque Country and Catalonia in Spain.
This volume is of direct relevance to coursework students and researchers pursuing programs in education, linguistics, applied linguistics, sociolinguistics and multilingualism, but will also attract interest in disciplines such as social work and psychology. Additionally the volume will appeal to members of the general public wishing to acquaint themselves with current research and thinking on critical issues in multilingual studies, such as learning experiences within and beyond classrooms, and aspects of public policy and institutional decision-making processes.
Author(s): Larissa Aronin, Eva Vetter
Series: Educational Linguistics, 51
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2021
Language: English
Pages: 251
City: Cham
Acknowledgment
Contents
About the Editors
Contributors
Literacy Learning and Language Education: Dominant Language Constellations and Contemporary Multilingualism
1 A Flatter, More Multilingual World
2 Language Consequences
3 National Monolingualism and Globalized Multilingualism
4 Language and Nationalism, and Incipient Language Rights
5 Enter the DLC
6 Literacy and DLC
7 About this Volume
8 A World of Contours
References
Part I: Dominant Language Constellations in Language Education Policy and School Practices
Dominant Language Constellations in Education: Patterns and Visualisations
1 Introduction
2 Dominant Language Constellation as a Pattern
2.1 Patterns in Research
2.2 DLCs as Patterns of Language Use, Acquisition, and Educational Practices
How Do Dominant Language Constellations Manifest their Patterned Nature?
Commensurability of DLC Patterns
3 DLC Perspective for Education: Aims, Scope, and Studies
3.1 Current Research on DLC
3.2 Research via Selected Criteria of DLC Constituents
3.3 Aims and Priorities of Patterns-Oriented Research in Education
4 Modelling and Visualising DLC Patterns for Multilingual Education
4.1 What Are Visualisations and How Are they Useful (a) for Research and (b) for Language Learners and Users?
4.2 Pattern-Oriented Visualisations of Multilingualism: DLC Maps and DLC 3D Models
5 Summary
References
Language Education Policy Through a DLC Lens: The Case of Urban Multilingualism
1 Introduction
2 The Context: Language Education Policy and Urban Multilingualism
2.1 Multilingual Vienna
2.2 European Language Education Policy
3 Schools in Vienna: Three Snapshots from a DLC Perspective
3.1 School Websites Between Mono- and Bilingualism
3.2 The Principals’ Perspective
3.3 Practice
4 Conclusion
References
Promoting Plurilingual Competences in Primary Schools in Barcelona: A Dominant Language Constellation Approach to Teaching and Learning Languages
1 Introduction
2 Languages in Barcelona: Language Teaching and Language Use
3 Plurilingual Connections: A Dominant Language Constellation Approach to Teaching and Learning Languages
4 The Pedagogical Approach: The Integrated Plurilingual Approach
4.1 Translanguaging as a Pedagogical Strategy for Highlighting Pupils’ Own Languages: Translation for Other Learning Contexts (TOLC) and Language Identity Texts (LITs)
4.2 Using TOLC and LITs in the Additional Language Classroom
5 The Study
5.1 The Methodology
5.2 The Context and Participants
5.3 The Storybook Project
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Session 4 & 5
Session 6
Session 7
Session 8
Session 9
Session 10
6 Results and Discussion
6.1 A DLCA Through IPA Affects Motivation and Attitudes Towards Languages and Language Learning
6.2 A DLCA Through IPA Affects Academic Performance in Catalan, English and Spanish
6.3 Adopting a DLCA to Language Teaching Affects the Teacher’s Attitudes Towards Teaching and Learning Languages
7 Conclusions
References
Family Language Policy and Dominant Language Constellations: A Canadian Perspective
1 Introduction
2 The Context
2.1 The Dominant Language Constellation
2.2 Family Language Policy
2.3 Linguistic and Educational Landscape in Ontario
3 The Study
3.1 Methodology and Research Questions
3.2 Results: Questionnaire
3.3 Results: Follow-Up Interviews
4 General Discussion
5 Conclusion
References
Educational and Career Opportunities for Refugee-Background Adults in Norway: A DLC Perspective
1 Introduction
2 Background
2.1 Language and the Process of Integration
2.2 Social, Political and Educational Aspects of the Refugee Situation in Norway
2.3 The Roles and Status of English in Norway
2.4 Dominant Language Constellation as a Research Paradigm
3 Methods
3.1 Research Question
3.2 Sources of Data
4 Results
4.1 Majority Communal DLC in Norway
Websites Serving Refugees
Languages in Education
Languages Needed for Employment
Summary
4.2 Actual and Imagined DLCs of Refugees to Norway
5 Discussion and Conclusion
References
Part II: Dominant Language Constellations in Teacher Training
Embracing Multilingualism in Teaching Practicum in Finland? DLC as a Tool for Uncovering Individual and Institutional Multilingualism
1 Introduction to the DLC Concept and Context
2 Contextual Levels for the Study of DLCs
3 Contextual Levels from an Affordances Perspective
4 Aim, Material and Method
5 Results
5.1 Swedish-Medium Bilingual Teacher Training School
Individual Patterns
Swedish-Medium School Pattern
5.2 Finnish-Medium Bilingual Teaching Practice School
Individual Patterns
Finnish-Medium School Pattern
6 Discussion
Appendix 1
Individual
Institutional
References
The Dominant Language Constellations of Immigrant Teacher Trainees in Israel: Russian, Hebrew and English
1 Introduction: The DLCs of Immigrant Teacher Trainees
2 Literature Review
2.1 The Constitution and Configuration of Immigrant DLCs
2.2 Background Information About Immigrants from the FSU to Israel
3 Methods and Procedures
4 Findings
4.1 Evolving DLCs
4.2 Changes Within DLCs, Cultural Adjustment
4.3 DLCs and Patterns of Socialization
4.4 Cognitive Changes in Immigrants’ DLCs
4.5 Individuals’ Changing DLCs and Their Sense of Identity
5 Discussion
6 Conclusion
Appendix
Questionnaire
References
Part III: Dominant Language Constellations and Identity Through Narratives and Visualizations
Exploring Identities and Life Stories of Multilingual Transnational Couples Through the Lens of Multilinguality and Dominant Language Constellations
1 Introduction
2 Background
2.1 Multilingual Families
2.2 Multilingualism, Transnationality, and Identity
2.3 Multilinguality and Dominant Language Constellations
2.4 Research Objectives
3 Methodology
3.1 Autobiographic Narratives
3.2 Data Sources
3.3 Participants
3.4 Data Analysis
4 Findings
4.1 Complexity and Variation Within Individual and Family DLCs
Zonja and Barke
Gabriela and Matias
Hermione and Ole
Laura and Jean-Paul
Johanna and Robert
4.2 Fluctuation and Self-Balance
Zonja and Barke
Gabriela and Matias
Hermione and Ole
Laura and Jean-Paul
Johanna and Robert
4.3 Identity Construction
Zonja and Barke
Gabriela and Matias
Hermione and Ole
Laura and Jean-Paul
Johanna and Robert
5 Discussion and Conclusion
Appendices
Appendix A: DLC Chart Provided to Participants
Appendix B: Autobiography Guide
References
Understanding Dominant Language Constellations Through Analysis of Visual Linguistic Autobiographies by Foreign Language Student Teachers in Germany
1 Introduction
2 Multilingual Repertoires and Dominant Language Constellations as Complex and Dynamic Systems: A Theoretical Lens to Analyse Multilingual Biographies
3 The Empirical Study
3.1 Data Collection: Context and Participants
3.2 Visual Linguistic Biographies as Data: Methodology of Data Analysis
4 Analysis of Visual Linguistic Autobiographies
4.1 Languages Included in the (Potential) Dominant Language Constellation of Spanish Student Teachers
4.2 Languages Included in the (Potential) Dominant Language Constellation of French Student Teachers
4.3 Comparison of Dominant Language Constellations and Discussion of Results
5 Synthesis and Perspectives
References
Languages as Ways of Being: The Linguistic Biography of a Nordic Nomad
1 Introduction
2 Languages in My Homeland
2.1 Icelandic: The Language I Was Born to
2.2 English: The Language of Convenience
2.3 Danish: The Language I (Have to) Live with on a Daily Basis
2.4 German: The ‘Foreign’ Language for Me
3 The Languages Away from Home
3.1 Swedish: The Language of My Second Heart
3.2 Norwegian: One More Scandinavian Conquest
3.3 Faroese: The ‘Sister’ Language
3.4 Lithuanian: The Language of the Country that Likes Me Back
3.5 Greek: The Language of a People with a ‘Heart of Hearts’
4 Summing Up on My Linguistic Treasure Chest
Appendix
Commentary on My Clay Chart
