Multilingual Repertoires as a Resource for Learning and Teaching

Multilingualism in Europe, particularly in France, presents a unique blend of challenges and opportunities in the realm of language education. This two-part discussion fuses theoretical insights into language acquisition with their practical implementation in real-world classrooms, all within the context of a multilingual environment.
Jérémi Sauvage initiates the conversation by delving into the historical evolution and legislative framework underpinning French language instruction. He underscores the traditional French perspective, which separates language acquisition, often approached from a psychological standpoint, from pedagogy, predominantly rooted in educational sciences. He contrasts this with the more integrated approach prevalent in North America, exemplified by organizations like CARLA, and explores the feasibility of incorporating such methodologies into European settings.
Nathalie Auger follows with pragmatic solutions, emphasizing the significance of capitalizing on students’ pre-existing linguistic and cultural knowledge in the process of second language acquisition. Drawing upon an array of scholarly sources, she introduces the “language diamond” model, designed to harness all available linguistic resources for more effective language learning. The presentation includes live demonstrations, video clips, and web resources to substantiate the model’s applicability.