Abstract

SOLSONA-PUIG, Jordi; CAPDEVILA-GUTIERREZ, María  and  RODRIGUEZ-VALLS, Fernando. Linguistic Inclusiveness in Multilingual Education in California: Coexistence between Language Varieties and Registers to Enrich Dual Immersion Classrooms. educ.educ. [online]. 2018, vol.21, n.2, pp.219-236. ISSN 0123-1294.  https://doi.org/10.5294/edu.2018.21.2.3.

In California's dual immersion classrooms, multiple varieties, levels and linguistic registers coexist when students and teachers whose mother tongue is the language of instruction contribute the richness of their different linguistic origins. Spanish is known to be the predominant language within these programs throughout the United States. However, the dilemma of how to deal with the coexistence of different varieties of the same language of instruction also affects immersion programs in other languages. Consequently, other modalities can coexist in a dual immersion classroom, especially when Spanish-speaking students have immigrant roots of various geographical and socio-economic origins. Far from accepting a single or preferable arrangement exclusively, this article proposes the dual immersion classroom be an example of inclusiveness and respect for the diversity of multiple linguistic varieties as a source of transferable wealth for learning any language. A linguistically inclusive classroom seems more respectful of the multiple identities of its speakers and in keeping with the living nature of any language, especially in multilingual societies. The article ends with recommendations for language and content instruction as well as for training bilingual teachers from the standpoint of linguistic inclusivity.

Keywords : California; USA; multilingual education; language of instruction; teacher training; linguistic inclusion.

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