Pluralistic approaches in education: Educating for diversity through ‘Awakening to Languages’

Abstract

This study refers to an empirical study that was conducted in a Greek public preschool class, implementing activities within the Awakening to Languages approach (Candelier, 2017), aiming at developing language and intercultural awareness as well as positive attitudes towards languages and cultures among preschool learners. The study, following an educational critical action research, actively engaged children in an intervention with a series of multiple plurilingual activities, including and utilizing in parallel six languages (Greek, English, German, Albanian, Chinese, and Arabic). The research data was collected with the use of qualitative tools such as observation and field notes, class discussions and students’ language portraits. After presenting part of the activities implemented, which employ creativity in working cross-linguistically with six languages, the research findings are outlined, which involve raising language, multilingual and cultural awareness as well as developing understanding of and openness to diversity. Implications are discussed in relation to the use of pluralistic approaches in education, with a focus on early childhood education.