Supporting language rights: plurilingual pedagogies as an impetus for linguistic and cultural inclusion

Rebecca Schmor; Enrica Piccardo

doi:10.7577/hrer.5282

Authors

Rebecca Schmor University of Toronto, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5720-291X
Enrica Piccardo University of Toronto, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2509-9436

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7577/hrer.5282

Abstract

This paper explores how the concept of plurilingualism is positioned to act as an impetus for linguistic and cultural inclusion in human-rights-based language education. Drawing on frameworks foregrounding descriptors for plurilingualism and democratic citizenship, the paper employs discourse analysis and sorting techniques to identify and align strategies of linguistic and cultural inclusion found in multimodal plurilingual task artefacts collected from a multi-year, multi-site research partnership between a Canadian university and the Italian Ministry of Education. The findings reveal that the implementation of plurilingual tasks aligns with key elements of democratic, rights-based language education, including critical understanding of communication, openness to cultural otherness, cooperation skills, and the valuing of cultural diversity. The findings of this paper contribute to further understanding of the concept of plurilingualism and to empirically informed perspectives on pedagogies that support language rights as human rights in education.

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Author Biographies

Rebecca Schmor, University of Toronto, Canada

Rebecca Schmor is a course instructor, graduate research assistant, and PhD candidate in Language and Literacies Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto. Her research centres around plurilingualism, linguistically inclusive education, and teacher identity. She has taught, conducted research, and trained teachers in Canada, China, Cuba, Germany, and Italy.

Enrica Piccardo, University of Toronto, Canada

Enrica Piccardo is a Full Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education at OISE – University of Toronto. Her research includes language teaching approaches and curricula, multi/plurilingualism, creativity and complexity in language education, and assessment. A collaborator with the Council of Europe (CoE) since 2008 and co-author of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) Companion Volume (2020), she has coordinated various international projects, presented in many countries and published extensively in different languages.

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