Carol Benson, Ph.D Centre for Teaching and Learning (UPC) Stockholm University

1. Pedagogical principles and multilingual education: Contradictions and new directions for research and practice Carol Benson, Ph.D Centre for Teaching and Learning (UPC) Stockholm University carol.benson@upc.su.se

2. Organization of the discussion • Background • Paradox: How to reconcile the “knowns” in bi/multilingual and revitalisation programs • Updating pedagogical practices: New directions with relevance for Europe

3. My background: Mother tongue-based bi/multilingual education in developing countries Mozambique: Implementing in 16 languages Vietnam: Initiating pilot in 3 languages

4. Inspiration… Hornberger, Nancy (ed) (2008) Can Schools Save Indigenous Languages? Policy and Practice on Four Continents. Hampshire/ New York: Palgrave Macmillan. What education does or can do to “bring forward” (Hornberger & King 1996) languages that have been marginalized throughout history, in no small part by formal schooling systems.

5. MTBMLE & Revitalisation ed. In common: Similar efforts required for both: Teacher training Development of NDLs in written form Elaboration of bi/multilingual curriculum & materials • Empowerment of non-dominant languages & cultures through education • Desire to make education & society more equitable

6. The paradox: 2 “knowns” It is optimal for learning if the child’s best language(s) are used for beginning (and continuing) literacy development and general learning. Schooling is a major force for “saving” languages lost (or in the process of being lost) through ignorance, neglect, denial or systematic underdevelopment.

7. Reconciling the pedagogical principles: Teaching through a non-dominant language MTBMLE uses the learner’s mother tongue, i.e. a language in which he/she is highly competent. Revitalisation education uses the learner’s heritage language, which relates to culture/identity but not necessarily language competence.

8. Widely accepted principles (Cummins, Krashen, Bialystock, Baker, Swain…) • Importance of L1 development • Oral competence = effective initial literacy • L1 medium for understanding academic content • Need for appropriate L2 learning • Time required to develop oral competence • Second/foreign language teaching methods • Sheltered/bilingual methods for content instruction • L1 as foundation for L2 learning • Transfer can be facilitated • Transfer goes in all directions

9. Addressing the paradox • Strengthen understandings of the pedagogical & cognitive basis for bi/multilingual education • Plan and conduct teaching from a realistic platform

10. Student language competence, homogeneous situation

11. Student language competence, heterogeneous situation

12. Student language competence, heterogeneous situation

13. Student language competence, heterogeneous situation

14. Updating pedagogical practices Find more effective ways to assess language competence of teachers and students (incoming and outgoing) Re-examine and re-construct bi/ multilingual pedagogy in terms of actual language competence levels* * Students as individuals

15. Updating our thinking about MLE and Revitalisation ed. Bi/multilingualisms & literacies for ALL LEARNERS Could we be more explicit about the transformative aspects? Leena Huss in Hornberger (ed) 2008: The struggle itself can be “rehabilitating, healing and empowering” for participants.

16. Thank you!