Addressed the need to train teachers to work with culturally/linguistically diverse students, using a classroom case and online feedback from the case teacher and building a database of adapted lessons. Although cases were useful in promoting application of knowledge and skills, feedback and opportunity for reflection were essential. Computers…

Language and literacy are situated in specific classroom contexts and are acquired as students engage with the subject matter and tasks of these courses. Therefore, all faculty--not just those who teach courses devoted to teaching English to speakers of other languages (ESOL)--are responsible for contributing to multilingual students' acquisition…

In the bilingual contexts of two regions of Spain, Asturias (Asturian/Spanish) and Eastern Aragon (Catalan/Spanish), and given the relationship between language attitudes and linguistic proficiency, our study has two objectives. Firstly, the attitudes to the two contact languages are described. Secondly, the variables that can explain such…

The educational system in a multilingual society needs to reflect the authentic patterns of language use by the individuals in that society. A person who knows three or more languages presumably uses each of these languages in different contexts, for different purposes and at varying levels of proficiency. The school curriculum should aim at…

Although the presence of three (or even more) languages in the curriculum is an expanding phenomenon in Europe, brought about by the concurrence of regionalisation and internationalisation, the number of research studies tackling the analysis of attitudes towards multilingualism is very limited. By examining the attitudes towards Basque, Spanish…

This paper analyses the opinions, awareness and perceptions of trilingual or multilingual students, regarding their language teacher. Findings of a comparative study carried out in two different cultural contexts, Ireland and Israel, are discussed, where participants (435 in total) included Russian-speaking students in Israel studying English or…

Multicultural policies and language policies claim to provide a favorable environment for the maintenance of immigrant languages. However, the relationship between multiculturalism and multilingualism is complex and contested. Rates of language loss and shift in Australia show that the multilingual heritage is very vulnerable even within the…

While plurilingualism is not necessarily a novel concept, the author argues that the ability to speak several languages will help Europeans to develop a European identity and to deconstruct existing cultural and even genetic barriers. To this aim it would make sense to be introduced at a very early age to elements of language and culture from…

With the gloomy prospect of massive language extinction over the next 100 years, efforts by applied linguists, educational anthropologists, and multilingual educators to reverse the trends in language loss are increasing. Education in minority languages seems to be a key to maintaining endangered languages and cultures. One often cited challenge…

In many Southern countries, there are multiple and conflicting perspectives regarding the central role of language, particularly in relation to educational and developmental issues. A great number of multilingual, multicultural and multi-ethnic Southern countries are using "English" or some other dominant tongue as their only…

Based on interviews with teachers and students, the paper looks at some of the ways in which teachers' use of English as a medium of instruction sometimes frustrates the students' learning efforts instead of facilitating them. While options for change may include adopting mother tongue as an alternative medium, there are theoretical reasons for…

The democratic changes that occurred in Croatia within last two decades are oriented towards European values and multi-intercultural perspectives. Let us remember that, according to the census from 1991, Croatia was inhabited with people from 27 nations, with Croats being a majority. During the Homeland war, basically a defensive war against the…

The growing diversity in today's classrooms demands that family and consumer sciences (FCS) teachers be knowledgeable, responsive, and well-prepared to work with a multicultural, multilingual student population. To meet the needs of students from all backgrounds, FCS teachers must use a broad array of research-based strategies that support diverse…

This study looks at how the methodology of comparative education research has contributed, or not contributed, to understanding the role of minority languages in European education systems. An introductory chapter of the report is devoted to explanation of the work of Mercator-Education, a European center concerned with languages not commonly…

This book recounts the personal experiences of a woman who learned three languages (French, Italian, and English) in addition to her native Russian. She learned French as an emotional and intellectual escape from difficult conditions as a Jew in the Soviet Union, then learned Italian in Italy while she and her family waited to gain entrance into…