In this section you can find useful professional development resources – including articles, webinars, podcast episodes, research and teaching tips and tools – all to help you develop your skills and knowledge of Using multilingual practices.
What does 'Using multlingual practices' involve?
This professional practice is about identifying, understanding and addressing the linguistic diversity of learners and their needs. It recognises that in teaching, multilingual approaches are an important part of building inclusive classrooms. It involves:
recognising and valuing the multilingual nature of societies, schools and classrooms
developing an awareness of beliefs about languages, their domains of use, of their speakers, and how these beliefs can impact on establishing and maintaining an inclusive learning environment
developing your understanding of approaches to the use of English as the language of teaching and learning and the teaching of English as a subject in order to promote collaborative working between English teachers and teachers of other subjects
giving your learners appropriate opportunities to use their home languages or familiar language(s) to develop their language skills and promote learning
developing your understanding of multilingual approaches (see also Knowing the subject) in order to make principled pedagogical choices that respect and capitalise on your learners' linguistic diversity
assessing your learners in a way that takes their linguistic background into account
reflecting on how effective your use of multilingual practices is in promoting learning.
