Given the increasing diversity of language profiles in schools (Gogolin, 2002), there is a need to develop inclusive education systems for all students. Despite the efforts that have been made over the last two decades to implement language immersion programs in European classrooms, the existing inequalities have not yet been overcome (Sierens & Van Avermaet, 2015). Data provided by UNESCO (2016) suggests that 40% of the world's students cannot access education in a language they already know or are able to communicate with. In these circumstances, using an unfamiliar language as the language of instruction could end up impairing the development of skills and their degree of success (Ball, 2010; UNESCO, 2016).
Since language knowledge is crucial for accessing both educational content and social and communicative competences (Council of Europe, 2018), it becomes a priority to promote inclusive educational environments for language learning. This is the only possible way for all learners to access the curricular contents and to develop skills.
Interactions at the core of L2 learning
Some studies delving into language learning have identified the central importance of dialogue and interactions for the development of target language learning (Loewen & Sato, 2018; Mackey & Gass, 2015). In this respect, Mercer and colleagues (2019) highlight that promoting dialogues and interactions in the classroom through the dialogic approach of learning sets the difference. This method, founded, among others, on the theory of Vygotsky (1980), supports that learning begins interpersonally and subsequently becomes intrapersonal. Decades of research in this area have identified that dialogic learning has positive effects on both academic learning and social skills development (García-Carrión et al., 2020).
Among other educational actions based on the educational conception of dialogical learning (Flecha, 2000), Dialogic Literary Gatherings (DLG) also promote classroom dialogue. DLGs consist of reading and discussing a universal literary work, previously elaborated by the students at home. Once in the classroom, they share and discuss the ideas and reflections arising from the book through an egalitarian dialogue facilitated by the teacher.
The present study: background and objective
This paper focuses on exploring the impact of DLGs on L2 (Basque) learning, while promoting the inclusion of learners through classroom dialogue. The study has been developed in a varied and complex linguistic context. Concretely, it was a bilingual area in which the predominant language was Spanish. It coexists with Basque, the other co-official and minority language in the Basque Country (Cenoz, 2005). Despite being in a diglossic situation (Urrutia, 2020), Basque is the main language of instruction.
To date, the fact that Basque has been the language of instruction did not guarantee an optimal level of learning among pupils. According to the Basque Government and other official institutions (2016), only 54.4 % of students between 13-14 years old manage to surpass the level of basic communicative competence. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure an inclusive education, which safeguards access to the curricular contents for all students.
Previous research has revealed the benefits of DLGs in promoting language competence. However, their potential impact in bilingual educational settings where a minority language is involved, as in the case of Basque, remains unknown.
