‘Inert benevolence’ towards languages beyond English in the discourses of English primary school teachers

Cunningham, Clare; Little, Sabine

doi:10.1016/j.linged.2022.101122

Cited by 10 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…The efforts surrounding the library helped children to externalise their multilingualism as a skill, and receive external validation for something that is typically not valued or formally recognised, especially in children’s school experiences (Cunningham and Little, 2022; Purcell-Gates et al, 2011). Following the award ceremony, where children who had completed six books in a language other than English received a certificate and a medal, one mother’s evaluation stated: I can see that Maya was very pround [sic] of her achievement and it was excellent to be recognised by people other than the parents that she is able to read the books in other languages.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The multilingual children’s library as physical and metaphorical ‘space’ within the community: Practical and emotional considerations

Little

Murray

2022

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science

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Following the establishment of a multilingual children’s library section in Sheffield, England, this paper explores logistical and emotional considerations concerning the set-up and running of the library, and its role within the community. Adopting a case study approach, data are derived from book stock and borrowing statistics, feedback from multiple events (including multilingual storytelling and story writing events, and a reading scheme), as well as a library staff and a parent focus group. Data were analysed thematically according to logistical and emotional concerns, with subthemes – such as borrowing patterns, identity, belonging and physical and metaphorical ‘space’ being identified within the data. The research highlights shortcomings in cataloguing facilities, and in the way in which ‘successes’ are measured in library management and research, while adding significantly to our understanding of the contribution multilingual resources and events in public libraries makes to a community’s sense of identity and belonging. The notion of real and metaphorical ‘space’ for multilingualism as part of library provision forms a vital addition to the way libraries might consider their roles in diverse societies.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The multilingual children’s library as physical and metaphorical ‘space’ within the community: Practical and emotional considerations

Little

Murray

2022

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science

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“…Given the significant role teachers play in shaping children's linguistic repertoires (Cunningham 2019) and the fact that schools are important sites for providing families with advice on child development, understanding educators' influence on families' language decisions and practices is also crucial. While schools and teachers may hold positive attitudes about multilingualism, these attitudes do not always translate into meaningful practice, and multilingualism in schools may be more 'tolerated' than actively welcomed (Cunningham and Little 2022). Research suggests teachers are likely to prioritise the development of English over multilingualism (Bailey and Marsden 2017) or may prioritise so-called 'higher status' languages (Amankwah and Howard 2024).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring Different Stakeholder Perspectives on Bilingualism in Autism

Howard,

Gibson,

Katsos

2024

Languages

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An increasing body of research suggests that bilingualism is possible and perhaps even advantageous for autistic individuals. However, several factors might influence parents’ decisions about raising their autistic child bilingually, including national language policies, educational contexts, advice received from key professionals, and the child’s individual strengths and needs. Accordingly, there is a clear imperative to understand how the views of different stakeholders converge and diverge when language decisions are made in the context of autism. This paper brings new insights by synthesising the findings of three qualitative studies that used interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore the perspectives and experiences of bilingual autistic children (n = 11), parents (n = 16), and educational practitioners (n = 13) of bilingualism in autism in England and Wales. Despite wide variation between and within groups, a striking tension emerged between individuals’ beliefs about bilingualism in general, which were positive, and their experiences of bilingualism in autism specifically, which often foregrounded more monolingual approaches. This paper examines this tension, with a particular focus on stakeholders’ attitudes towards the feasibility of bilingualism, families’ language choices in the context of autism, and how notions of contextual linguistic diversity accentuated differences between England and Wales. We conclude by arguing that greater awareness of both bilingualism and neurodiversity in educational and clinical settings may improve the experiences of bilingual autistic children and, crucially, the language advice families receive.

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Language education policy and transnational and translingual social practices at schools. Commentary on the special issue

Thoma

2023

Linguistics and Education

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‘Inert benevolence’ towards languages beyond English in the discourses of English primary school teachers

Cited by 10 publications

References 37 publications

The multilingual children’s library as physical and metaphorical ‘space’ within the community: Practical and emotional considerations

The multilingual children’s library as physical and metaphorical ‘space’ within the community: Practical and emotional considerations

Exploring Different Stakeholder Perspectives on Bilingualism in Autism

Language education policy and transnational and translingual social practices at schools. Commentary on the special issue

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