The research focuses on exploring the perceptions of various stakeholders in Slovenian primary education – teachers, head teachers, and pupils – towards plurilingualism and the factors that influence their perceptions and practices regarding the use and evaluation of linguistic diversity. The research is set in the context of contemporary social and educational changes that emphasize the importance of plurilingual communication, inclusion, and respect for different languages and cultures in the educational environment. In the study, we defined plurilingualism as an individual’s ability to flexibly use different languages depending on the context, purpose, and interlocutor, whereby it is not considered as simply mastering several languages, but as an intertwining of all individual’s linguistic and cultural resources. First, we presented the theoretical foundations of the concept of plurilingualism, which are based on contemporary findings in the fields of sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, and theories of identity and cultural competence. The research stems from the observation that school systems often still privilege monolingual and monocultural approaches, even though numerous European and national documents advocate plurilingual and pluricultural education and the development of plurilingual and pluricultural competence.
The empirical part of the research is based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative part involved 1,039 pupils (from grades 4 to 9), 1,216 primary school teachers, and 64 head teachers, who expressed their views on various aspects of plurilingualism through questionnaires. The qualitative part was carried out with the help of 20 semi-structured interviews with language and non-language teachers and head teachers. The content of the questionnaires and interviews focused on the perception of the importance of foreign language skills, the role of the mother tongue, language learning at school, the integration of languages into the learning process, and the acceptance and integration of pupils from other linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The data were analysed using various statistical methods, with the emphasis on finding differences based on gender, age, place of birth, language exposure, and teaching specialisation.
The results of the study showed that teachers and head teachers on average express strongly positive attitudes towards plurilingualism, with language teachers and those who are more involved in international projects or have personal experience with plurilingual environments being the most supportive of plurilingual practices. We found that a higher level of education, the use of multiple languages in everyday life, and experience with diversity (e.g. contact with people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds) have a positive impact on openness to plurilingual approaches. Pupils also expressed mostly positive attitudes towards learning and using foreign languages, with those who spoke several languages at home or had been exposed to linguistic diversity in early childhood being the most open.
However, the survey also revealed several obstacles that hinder the implementation of plurilingual pedagogy in practice. Among the main challenges, participants highlighted the lack of systemic support, insufficient teaching materials, lack of training for teachers in the field of plurilingualism, and the generally monolingual orientation of the school environment. Teachers repeatedly expressed the need for additional professional development, greater access to literature, and institutional incentives for cooperation between subject areas in promoting plurilingualism. Head teachers, on the other hand, pointed to structural constraints and a lack of teachers and time. The recognition and appreciation of linguistic diversity as an asset rather than an obstacle has emerged as a key task for the school system. This requires a comprehensive approach that includes appropriate teacher training, adjustments to curricula, interdisciplinary cooperation, the development of reflective attitudes, and support from school management.
The study makes an important scientific contribution to the understanding of plurilingualism in the Slovenian primary school context, as it combines theoretical frameworks with empirical analysis of a specific school environment. It offers concrete recommendations for educational policy and school practice, emphasising the importance of plurilingual education for the development of an inclusive, tolerant, and globally oriented society. The work also opens up possibilities for further research, particularly in the direction of monitoring the long-term effects of plurilingual approaches in pedagogical practices and in the inclusion of pupils with different linguistic backgrounds in the school environment.
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