Conference Theme

“Plurilingual Literacies in Education: Pluralistic Approaches Inside and Beyond the Classroom”

Rationale

Plurilingual literacy, as a concept generally underscoring the abilities of the plurilingual individual in handling discourses produced across diverse languages, modes, and contexts (Cuenat, Manno & Desgrippes, 2020), plays a pivotal role in fostering critical thinking, communication skills, and social participation and inclusion. In this sense, (plurilingual) literacies and literacy events, as stated by Stavans and Hoffmann, “involve much more than the techniques of encoding and decoding written language” (2015, p. 255; see also Breuer, Lindgren, Stavans & Van Steendam, 2021; Molinié & Moore, 2012; Moore, 2020; Rispail, 2011).

In this edition of the EDILIC conference, we approach plurilingual literacies from a double, interrelated perspective: on the one hand, plurilingual literacies might be conceived as a goal of education; on the other hand, they might be seen as an asset and a starting point to design pedagogical scenarios and learning paths. Regardless of favouring one of these goals, or combining both, there is a need to consider that pluralistic approaches (Candelier et al, 2012) can contribute to the development and maximisation of individuals’ plurilingual literacies. This is because they mobilise different languages, registers and linguistic varieties, whether in formal, informal or non-formal educational environments. Both qualitative and quantitative research across different contexts (Marx, 2020; Moore, 2020) provide evidence that pluralistic approaches contribute to various aspects of language learning. The benefits of activating literacy in different languages, both simultaneously or sequentially, range from vocabulary and grammar learning in specific target languages to development of language awareness and other transversal competences (Breuer et al, 2021; Cuenat et al, 2020; Helmchen & Melo-Pfeifer, 2018; Kirsch & Duarte, 2020; Lau et al, 2021).

This approach to the concept of plurilingual literacies can be seen alongside recent conceptual approaches to multiliteracies. This concept refers to pedagogical approaches in education that go beyond traditional literacy skills (reading and writing) to encompass a range of literacies, including digital literacy, spatial and sensorial literacies, media literacy, information literacy, and plurilingual and cultural literacy (Abendroth-Timmer & Henning, 2014; Brisson et al, 2021; Cope & Kalantzis, 2009, 2015 and 2000; Mills, 2016; New London Group, 1996). (Multi)literacy/ies education empowers individuals to become critical users and creators of information, effective communicators, and active participants in their communities and society at large, thus potentially promoting social justice and more equitable learning environments (Tavares, 2024).

The 11th EDILIC conference examines innovative approaches to plurilingual literacies that acknowledge and embrace the rich diversity of learners, teachers and educators, communities and contexts. It aims to explore diverse theoretical perspectives, methodologies and practices in the field of plurilingual literacies in education. This encompasses both traditional classroom settings and a broader understanding of societal contexts. In order to address the above-mentioned issues, concerns and research areas, the 11th EDILIC conference will be organised around three thematic strands:

Strand 1: Policies

This thematic strand is concerned with policies intended to foster, implement and evaluate plurilingual literacies, focusing on processes and/or the outcomes of such processes. Themes of interest include, but are not limited to:

Curriculum design for plurilingual literacies;
Principles and design of teacher education programmes,
Policies for assessment and evaluation of plurilingual literacy and multiliteracies.

Strand 2: Student and teacher education

This thematic strand relates to plurilingual literacies’ practices as enacted both in regular schooling (K-12) and in (pre- and in- service) teacher education, in diverse educational settings and across the curriculum and educational paths. Themes of interest include, but are not limited to:

Teaching and learning plurilingually in formal and informal contexts;
Plurilingual literacy practices at school, in non-formal educational settings (e.g. early childhood education and care), informal and/or diverse educational settings (e.g. bilingual education, special education);
Culturally and linguistically responsive teaching strategies in foreign language subjects;
Culturally and linguistically responsive teaching strategies across school subjects;
Teacher education and plurilingual literacy;
Assessment practices and outcomes.

Strand 3: Research and dissemination: plurilingual literacy and other heuristic constructs

This thematic area aims at sharing research findings on emergent research themes, methodologies or lenses to scrutinise plurilingual literacy. Authors should present and discuss innovative approaches to (research about) plurilingual literacy and related heuristic constructs. Themes of interest include, but are not limited to:

Plurilingual literacy, community engagement and service learning;
Plurilingual literacy, participation and social justice;
Plurilingual literacy and education for sustainable development;
Plurilingual literacy in the context of multiliteracy pedagogies;
Researching plurilingually about plurilingual literacy.

References

Abendroth-Timmer, D., & Henning, E.-M. (Eds.) (2014). Plurilingualism and Multiliteracies: International Research on Identity Construction in Language Education. Peter Lang.

Breuer, E., Lindgren, E., Stavans, A., & Van Steendam, E. (Eds). (2021) Multilingual Literacy. Multilingual Matters.

Brisson, G., Forte, M.; André, G., & Dagenais, D. (2021). Perspective sociomatérielle sur la pédagogie des multilittératies. Cahiers de l’ILOB/OLBI Journal, 11, 201-227.

Candelier, M. (coordinator), Camilleri-Grima, A., Castellotti, V., de Pietro, J-F., Lőrincz, I., Meißner, F-J., Noguerol, A., & Schröder-Sura, A. (2012). Le CARAP - Compétences et ressources. Council of Europe.

Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M. (2015). The things you do to know: An introduction to the pedagogy of multiliteracies. In B. Cope & M. Kalantzs (Eds.), A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies. Learning by Design (pp. 1-36). Palgrave Macmillan.

Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M. (2009). “Multiliteracies”: New literacies, new learning. Pedagogies: An International Journal, 4, 164-195.

Cuenat, E., Manno, G., & Desgrippes, M. (2020). Mehrschriftlichkeit und Mehrsprachenerwerb im schulischen und außerschulischen Umfeld. Bulletin suisse de linguistique appliquée. Printemps 2020.

Dagenais, D. (2012). Littératies multimodales et perspectives critiques. Recherches en Didactique des Langues et des Cultures. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/rdlc/2338 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/rdlc.2338.

Helmchen, C., & Melo-Pfeifer, S. (Eds.) (2018) Plurilingual Literacy Practices at School and in Teacher Education. Peter Lang.

Kirsch, C., & Duarte, J. (2020). Multilingual Approaches for Teaching and Learning. From Acknowledging to Capitalizing on Multilingualism in European Mainstream Education. Routledge.

Lau, S. M. C., Botelho, M. J., & Liaw, M. J.-J. (2021). Text production as process: Negotiating multiliterate learning & identities. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 1-17. doi:10.1080/15348458.2021.1896969.

Marx, N. (2020). Transfer oder Transversalität? – Designs zur Erforschung der Mehrschriftlichkeit. Bulletin suisse de linguistique appliquée. Printemps 2020, 15-33.

Mills, K. (2016). Literacy Theories for the Digital Age. Social, Critical, Multimodal, Spatial, Material and Sensory Lenses. Multilingual Matters.

Molinié, M., & Moore, D. (2012). Les littératies : une Notion en Questions en didactique des langues (NeQ), https://doi.org/10.4000/rdlc.2335

Molinié, M., & Moore, D. (2020). Plurilinguismes, plurilittératies et idéologisations. In J. David & C. Weber (Eds.), Le français et les langues. Histoire, linguistique, didactique. Hommage à Jean-Louis Chiss (pp.129-137).

Moore, D. (2020). Plurilittératies, pratiques textuelles plurilingues et appropriation: interrogations en didactique. Bulletin suisse de linguistique appliquée. Printemps 2020, 35-59.

New London Group (NLG). (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66, 60–92.

Rispail, M. (2011). Littéracie: une notion entre didactique et sociolinguistique – enjeux sociaux et scientifiques. ForumLecture, 1/2011. www.leseforum.ch

Schneuwly, B. (2020), Literacy – littératie – Literalité. Forumlecture, 2, https://www.forumlecture.ch/sysModules/obxLeseforum/Artikel/701/2020_2_fr_schneuwly.pdf

Stavans, A., & Hoffmann, C. (2015). Multilingualism. Cambridge University Press.

Tavares, V. (2024) (Ed.). Social Justice Through Pedagogies of Multiliteracies: Developing and Strengthening L2 Learner Agency and Identity. Routledge.