The current symposium will explore a resource-oriented perspective on multilingual writing skills based on the findings from quantitative and qualitative research. 

In the migration context, the development of literacy skills may take place in more than one language (e.g., majority language, a foreign language learned at school, heritage language(s)). Therefore, in such contexts, the concept of literacy as literacy in one language only (i.e., majority language) does not fully capture the given multilingual reality. For this reason, the theoretical concept of multiliteracies (New London Group, 1996; Cope & Kalantzis, 2000; 2009) was introduced. According to the concept of multiliteracies, the variety of literacies or continua of skills in multiple languages may be developed in linguistically diverse contexts. Whereas the role of multiliteracies as potential resources is highlighted in the developed holistic approaches to multilingualism (Cenoz & Gorter, 2011; Duarte & Günther-van der Meij, 2018), the empirical research on multiliteracies is still needed in the European context and beyond. Several studies on writing skills in multilingual students have provided essential findings on the nature of multiliteracies. Thus, the existing research has shown that multilingual writing skills are positively interrelated (Danzak, 2011; Danzak & Arfé, 206; Schoonen, 2011; Sparrow et al., 2014; Usanova & Schnoor, 2021). However, the question of whether multilingual writing skills represent a resource in language development and language teaching still needs to be empirically verified.

The current symposium will contribute to the research on multiliteracies and provide insights into multilingual writing skills from a resource-oriented perspective. The first paper of this symposium will consider the complex interrelation of multilingual writing skills in multilingual students in Germany. The second paper will zoom into the written data and explore multicultural identities, experiences, bilingual resources, and funds of knowledge in bilinguals in the US. The third and the final paper will introduce the opportunities and challenges in developing sustainable pedagogical approaches to foster multilingual writing in home languages in a primary education setting in Netherlands.

By introducing the research on multilingual writing skills, this symposium will furthermore address the challenges in the applied research approaches within the introduced studies as well as the relevance of the research on multiliteracies in an international context. The purpose is to contribute to current understanding of multiliteracies in Europe and beyond by exploring multiliteracies from different national and methodological perspectives.

Cenoz, J., & Gorter, D. (2011). Focus on Multilingualism: A Study of Trilingual Writing. The Modern Language Journal, 95(3), 356-369. Danzak, R. L. (2011). The integration of lexical, syntactic, and discourse features in bilingual adolescents’ writing: An exploratory approach. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 42, 491-505. Danzak, R. L., & Arfé, B. (2016). Globally minded text production: Bilingual, expository writing of Italian adolescents learning English. Topics in Language Disorders, 36(1), 35-51, doi: 10.1097/TLD.0000000000000077. Duarte, J., & Günther-van der Meij, M. T. (2018). A holistic model for multilingualism in education. EuroAmerican Journal of Applied Linguistics and Languages, 5(2), 24–43. New London Group. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66, 60–92. Schoonen, R., Gelderen, A. V., Stoel, R. D., Hulstijn, J., & Glopper, K. D. (2011). Modeling the Development of L1 and EFL Writing Proficiency of Secondary School Students. Language Learning, 61(1), 31-79. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9922.2010.00590.x Sparrow, W., Butvilofsky, S., Escamilla, K., Hopewell, S., & Tolento, T. (2014). Examining the Longitudinal Biliterate Trajectory of Emerging Bilingual Learners in a Paired Literacy Instructional Model. Bilingual Research Journal, 37(1), 24-42. doi:10.1080/15235882.2014.893271 Usanova, I. & Schnoor, B. (2021) Exploring multiliteracies in multilingual students: Profiles of multilingual writing skills. Bilingual Research Journal. Bilingual Research Journal.