In increasingly linguistically diverse classroom settings, implementing multilingual pedagogies is often perceived and described by teachers as a relatively new and underexplored territory (Krulatz et al., 2022; Menken & Sánchez, 2019; Neokleous et al., 2023; Shin et al., 2020). Norwegian English as an additional language (EAL) classrooms comprise a diverse student body with learners having access to more than one language (Statistics Norway, 2024). Faced with this established norm and reality, in-service teachers are reported as not being familiar with skills, knowledge, and strategies required that would cater to the needs of their multilingual students (Neokleous et al., 2023; Vikøy & Haukås, 2023). Similarly, pre-service teachers are reported as feeling underprepared to immerse themselves in such settings to enact the multilingual turn, despite having undergone professional multilingual training (Alisaari et al., 2019; Burner & Carlsen, 2022; Neokleous et al., 2022).

 The Multilingual Approach to Diversity in Education (MADE) is a holistic model that consists of seven research-based indicators: (a) Classrooms and Schools as Multilingual Spaces, (b) Developing and Using Teaching Materials, (c) Interaction and Grouping Configurations, (d) Language and Culture Attitudes, (e) Metacognition and Metalinguistic Awareness, (f) Multiliteracy, and (g) Teacher and Learner Language Use (Christison et al., 2021; Krulatz & Christison, 2023). Each indicator is broken down into a set of specific and observable features that can guide instruction with hands-on activities for teachers to implement in linguistically diverse classrooms. Using data from classroom observations, interviews, reflection entries, and field notes, the present chapter presents the empirical findings of the practical implementation of the MADE tool by a group of pre-service teachers and a group of in-service teachers in two linguistically diverse primary school classrooms. More specifically, the presentation examines the participants’ perspectives about MADE as a lesson-planning tool. The two participating groups consist of eight teachers (four in-service and four pre-service) who expressed an interest in familiarizing themselves with and deepening their understanding of teaching approaches that draw on multilingualism as a resource. Their motivation lay in their desire to enhance the target language acquisition of the linguistically diverse student body of their classrooms. This study is the first study conducted in Norwegian settings that ventures to examine EAL teachers’ perspectives on the implementation of a specific multilingual pedagogy. The purpose of this presentation is to broaden the research lens by focusing on the perception of EAL in- and pre-service teachers on the pivotal role teachers could serve in adopting multilingual pedagogies in linguistically diverse classrooms. Trying to elicit the views of in- and pre-service EAL teachers in Norway, the objective is to address the following question: a) What do EAL pre-and in-service teachers think of the implementation of MADE as a multilingual pedagogy in the classroom?, b) What is the value of using multilingual pedagogies as a resource for learning English? The presentation concludes with some pedagogical implications for teacher training and teacher development programs that aim to support teachers in implementing multilingual teaching resources and promoting multilingualism as a core resource.

To answer the research questions, a qualitative approach was adopted. Data were collected through classroom observations, the use of semi-structured interviews, and reflection entries. The participants were four in-service EAL teachers and four pre-service EAL teachers in six different schools situated in geographically disparate areas of the whole of Norway. The in-service teacher participants were EAL instructors at the upper primary education level in grades 5-10 and have been teaching English for over three years in public schools. The pre-service teacher participants were MA students enrolled in a teacher training program. The eight classrooms were observed three times during an entire academic year. The pre-service teacher participants’ classes were observed during their practicum experience. To maintain a clearer and sharper focus on the observations, as the sessions were not recorded, an observational protocol was developed. At the end of the academic year, the eight participants were individually interviewed. Notes taken during the observations were later written up as field notes and constituted the third data collection strategy while reflection entries were recorded by the participants after each class. The observations assisted the researcher in gathering an understanding as to how the teachers address the implementation of multilingual pedagogies in the classroom, which constituted the main research question of the study. The interviews enabled the participants to delve deeper into their general attitudes towards multilingual pedagogies in the classroom, and more specifically the MADE model. As interviews with the teachers and students were semi-structured in nature, based on the notes gathered during the observations, additional questions were formulated that enabled the teacher and the student interviewees to elaborate on the strategies that the researcher deemed worthy of discussing and which called for more investigation. The participants’ reflection entries also assisted in formulating additional questions to shed more light on the topic. An interpretational approach was adopted to answer the research questions. Abiding by the interpretational guidelines, the individual interviews with the teacher and student participants were transcribed and coded using Saldaña’s (2009) two coding cycle methods. The objective was to unravel in-service teacher and student attitudes towards enacting the multilingual turn with the implementation of multilingual pedagogies in the classroom along with their beliefs as to what are the advantages associated with its practice as well as the strategies and techniques the teachers adopted in their classrooms.

The results of the study indicated that both the in-service and the pre-service teacher participants displayed a positive stance towards the implementation of multilingual pedagogies in the classroom. For both groups, the greatest benefit associated with its use is its ability to ensure understanding and cater to the needs of the linguistically diverse students. Relatedly, the participants also felt that such pedagogies assists struggling students in coping with learning the TL. Despite acknowledging the value of home language integration, the teacher participants held strong views about the importance of using the TL in the classroom. Five of the participants believed that strong reliance on home language could have a detrimental effect both on the students but also the teachers and were skeptical about multilingual pedagogies that promote extensive home language use. As the results also indicated, integrating the HL still triggers feelings of guilt with teachers stressing the need to justify this classroom practice either for fear of practicing an incorrect classroom strategy or of having students believe that their command of English is limited. On the other hand, the participants also expressed their gratitude towards opportunities that cater to the needs of linguistically diverse students, and which ensure that all students share the same opportunities regarding target language acquisition. They also, however, cautioned about the importance of adequate, hands-on, and continuous professional development that introduced and familiarizes teachers with multilingual pedagogies and the effective ways in which they can be implemented in the EAL classroom. With multilingual classrooms becoming the norm, it is of paramount importance that future research would contribute toward ensuring a school environment that embraces students’ diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Further, teacher education must ensure that future teachers feel confident to make use of their students' cultural and linguistic diversities in the EAL classroom.

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