Continuity and discontinuity of plurilingual practices

Abstract

[Summary generated by Poe]

 This edition of Babylonia focuses on continuity and discontinuity in multilingual practices, exploring the challenges and opportunities related to bilingual and multilingual education in Switzerland.

1. Editorial Overview: Jean-Frédéric Jauslin, Director of the Federal Office of Culture, highlights the declining number of multilingual citizens in Switzerland, which threatens cultural and economic resources. He emphasizes the need for renewed efforts to promote multilingualism, particularly in the context of increasing globalization.
2. Main Theme: The issue examines how multilingualism is practiced across different social contexts, including family, school, and work. It discusses the significance of transitions between these contexts, particularly the shift from family language practices to school language requirements.
3. Contributions:

• Barbara Abdelilah-Bauer addresses the challenges bilingual families face when children enter school, emphasizing the importance of maintaining family languages despite pressures from the dominant school language.
• Mariana Steiner analyzes the relationship between ordinary schooling and heritage language courses, highlighting the need for better integration and recognition of these courses within the education system.

Teacher Collaboration: The issue discusses various forms of collaboration between regular teachers and those teaching heritage languages. It presents findings from a study conducted in Fribourg that examines the current practices and the need for improved cooperation to support bilingual students. Training and Methodology: The importance of teacher training in multilingual settings is emphasized. The article suggests that teachers should be well-equipped to address the linguistic diversity of their students and create inclusive learning environments. Foreign Language Education in Professional Contexts: The contributions also look at the relevance of foreign language education in vocational training, discussing how multilingualism is increasingly valued in the workplace. The need for professional language competencies is highlighted, along with the challenges in aligning educational practices with market demands. Bridging Tasks: The concept of bridging tasks is introduced as a means to facilitate the transition from primary to secondary education. These tasks aim to help students transfer skills and knowledge acquired in primary school to their secondary education. Conclusion: The edition concludes that understanding and supporting the transitions between different language practices is crucial for fostering multilingual competencies. It calls for a holistic approach to language education that recognizes the value of all languages and encourages collaboration among educators.

Overall, this issue of Babylonia emphasizes the importance of fostering multilingualism in various contexts and the need for systemic changes in educational practices to support this goal.