For a plurilingual, inclusive language education  and ethics. Towards an inclusive, ethical and plurilingual language education

The main topic of the 6th EDiLiC International Congress was inclusive, ethical and plurilingual language education. It was the opportunity to present a collective assessment in order to better understand the role played today by awakening to languages and other pluralistic approaches in different educational contexts.

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Description of the theme of the congress

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The Le Mans Congress (2006) questioned the role of awakening to languages as a lever for the development of plurilingualism. That of Barcelona (2008) considered this trend as an integrative curricular approach aimed at the development of plurilingual and pluricultural competence.  In Lausanne (2010), the general theme was teacher training and classroom practices for all pluralistic approaches (integrated language teaching, intercomprehension between neighboring languages and intercultural approaches putting language at the heart of their concerns). The 4th Congress, which was held in Aveiro in 2012, provided an assessment of the knowledge produced in the area of awakening to languages, in particular on its modes of registration in the field of language teaching. The 5th Congress, which took place in Rennes in 2014, considered the Purial Approaches as a possible practice to manage certain sociolinguistic and educational issues in teaching, such as taking into account minority languages.

The subject of the 6th congress was inclusive, ethical and plurilingual language education. It took place at Széchenyi István University in Győr (Hungary) and was co-organized with the University of West Hungary.

This congress was an opportunity to present a collective assessment in order to better understand the role played today by Awakening to Languages, but also other pluralistic approaches, in educational contexts whose aims should include language education, plurilingual, inclusive and ethical.

We asked ourselves what action-research, curricular and didactic research has contributed to the discourse on language teaching (all languages included), as well as to discourse on education in general. We considered how they contribute to an inclusive education that makes it possible to welcome all learners at all levels of education by reducing the inequalities (sociolinguistic, social, etc.) that the school must seek to counterbalance. We also asked ourselves how these practices can provide adequate answers to the challenges presented to education by societies in full mobility.  : presence of allophone learners with or without immigrant background, teaching and intervention in the context of cultural and linguistic diversity, entry into writing in the context of bilingualism or plurilingualism, development of plurilingual and intercultural competence according to the needs of the world of work, and in general, the ability to live in a world where otherness is omnipresent. The delegates also addressed the issue of language education policies on teaching practices in formal, non-formal and informal education, as well as on research policies. Finally, we looked at non-school contexts  : world of work, world of business, as well as the role that certain pluralistic approaches can play in it.

During this congress, we wanted to put forward contributions that address the connections between languages and between cultures, thus legitimizing - in accordance with the definition proposed in the CEFR - a conception of composite, synergistic plurilingual competence. and evolutionary opposed to an additive vision of several superimposed or juxtaposed monolingual skills. The implementation of such an integration of language teaching was studied in its didactic-methodological aspect, in its curricular aspect and in its aspects relating to the training of teachers.

Axis 1. Awakening to languages and other pluralistic approaches for inclusive and ethical education

“Inclusive education ... is about thinking about how to change education systems so that they respond to the diversity of learners. […]  »(Unesco web portal). To what extent does awakening to languages and other pluralistic approaches contribute to the establishment of inclusive education by taking into account the entire repertoire of learners  ? How can they strengthen the links between communities: relationship between teachers, students, between school and parents and society in general. What educational practices are used when implementing these approaches in an institutional setting, in an informal and non-formal setting?  ? How can awakening to languages and other pluralistic approaches provide avenues for welcoming allophone pupils with an immigrant background to school?  ? What avenues do they offer to welcome students with other forms of otherness  : blind, hard of hearing, etc. How do they support entry into writing in a multilingual context  ? How can they contribute to more efficient language teaching in terms of time and skills?  ?

Axis 2. Awakening to languages and other pluralistic approaches in the curriculum 

What evolution has the place of awakening to languages and pluralistic approaches in educational policies?  ? What are the curricular developments aimed at integrating all the languages of the learner's repertoire?  : first language, school language, other languages learned  ? Do they integrate activities such as awakening to languages and other pluralistic approaches?  ? Do the curricular programs include a reflection on the evaluation of such learning?  Are there teaching resources that support these curriculum developments?  ? How are the language dimensions of non-linguistic disciplines taken into account in the programs (academic competence, literacy)  ?  

Axis 3. Awakening to languages, other pluralistic approaches and training practices

Does awakening to languages and other pluralistic approaches appear in the training courses given to teachers?  ? What are the terms  ? Do the teachers express their need to follow training courses in awakening to languages and other pluralistic approaches?  ? What are the echoes of such formations  ? Do these trainings really change the classroom practices of teachers?  ? What are the levers and obstacles in the representations of teachers during the implementation of pluralistic approaches?  ? Do pluralistic approaches appear in training other than teacher training, in particular for better integration into the labor market in a context of otherness? What are the sociolinguistic issues and the language policy issues raised by the implementation of such training?  ?

Axis 4. Plural approaches in the world of work 

What is the relevance and what is the contribution of pluralistic approaches to preparing for the work context?  ? Is there a real desire to maintain multilingualism in multinational companies  ? Do some see linguistic and cultural diversity as an asset of competitiveness, as a challenge, as an obstacle or as an opportunity? What are the practices and needs, in terms of plurilingualism, of companies at different hierarchical levels and in different jobs?  ? What can be the contribution of pluralistic approaches to the needs of the company in the field of intercultural training?

Like the previous congresses, the Györ congress aimed to combine scientific research and reflective testimonies from actors in the field in the field of education, training and the production of tools and materials.