This proposal is the outcome of on-going dialogue between academics in five countries - the U.S., Finland, England, France and Germany – each with its own political/historical context of migration, educational ideology, and patterns of linguistic, cultural and ethno-racial diversity – who are attempting to grapple with the question of how educators respond to the new, and existing diversity found in classrooms today.  The focus of these discussions is to create a comparative research space around multilingualism and schooling, focusing on the challenges and opportunities faced in European and American classrooms, simultaneously highlighting areas of commonality and difference.

In light of policy concerns with ‘what works’, we assert the need to develop research perspectives and knowledge about multilingual learners that are informed by national and local contexts, but not limited to them.  Arguably, as this roundtable suggests, the challenges faced here are global ones.  This is therefore, an invitation to rethink our perspectives and frameworks on multilingualism and schooling.  We will consider three themes.  

Terminology

The terminology used to describe multilingual learners across our countries is itself replete with historical and discursive significance.  In the UK and France, there has been a move away from labels that emphasise what learners cannot do, towards more inclusive terms. In our discourses, we wish to embrace descriptions that state what pupils are and what they can do, which is communicate – with varying levels of competence – in more than one language; and unsettle the discursive relations implied by other deficit terms.  As academics, we favour the use of ‘Multilingual Learner’ (MLL), as a heuristic term, which is sufficiently open to the diverse historical, political, socioeconomic, and educational contexts in which multilingual children are, and have been, educated.  For the purposes of this roundtable, we consider multilingual learners to be those pupils who are engaging with a curriculum that is expressed in a language they have yet to master.

Teacher preparation

In France, England and the US, there is a longstanding awareness of the need to prepare beginning/new teachers for work in multilingual classrooms.  Implementation has, however, been difficult, due to funding concerns and other educational priorities.  In Finland, the need to offer ‘culturally responsive teaching’ informs pre-service and in-service training programmes. However, rapid changes in pupil demographics have undermined the consistency of such provision.  In Germany, the DaZKom project, undertaken by colleagues, is developing a competency model and methodology to measure pre-service teachers’ competencies and beliefs in supporting MLLs.

Teachers' perceptions of their 'preparedness'

Evidence from each country indicates that educators (pre-service and in-service) do not feel equipped to meet the needs of pupils in linguistically diverse classrooms.  Annual surveys of new teachers in the UK and research with teachers in Germany both highlight a lack of confidence among teachers in meeting the needs of MLLs.  Similar concerns have informed work in Finland, where colleagues are using an online survey, based on one developed in the U.S., to extend their enquiry by exploring the levels of knowledge and personal/professional beliefs about effective MLL support in school.  French teachers and academics have begun to consider the implications of this issue in their own education contexts.  Moreover, it remains unclear how effectively teachers who claim to feel prepared are engaging with MLLs.

In conclusion, we anticipate that the substantive themes identified above will provide speakers from each country in this collaborative network with a discussion point around which to frame their contributions, and provide an opportunity to reflect on their respective experiences of developing an international and multidisciplinary research space on the topic of multilingualism in schools.  

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