Language and didactics

By Sandra Mikalsen

For this assignment, I will discuss two different topics. The first one concerning how we as teachers can create a multicultural classroom with positive attitudes, and the second one is about the varieties of English and how English is taught in Norway.

The multicultural and multilingual classroom

To figure out how to help pupils create a positive attitude toward other cultures, it is necessary to understand the meaning of the terms “multicultural”, “multiculturalism” and “multilingual”. According to Rattansi (2011), the term “multicultural” refers to a society that is multiethnic – a society consisting of two or more cultures. Whilst the term “multiculturalism” is, according to Mustad et.al (2012), defined as a strategy for dealing with the cultural diversity in a positive way. For the term “multilingual” in an educational context, the website Oxford Index (n.d.) define it as a class or group of learners whom does not share the same first language. 

Based on Rattansi’s (2011) and the Oxford Index’ (n.d.) definitions of these terms, we can argue that a multicultural and multilingual classroom consists of pupils who originates from different cultures and speaks different languages. Given this complex composition of a classroom and considering Mustad’s (2012) strategy of multiculturalism, it is important to see each pupil and their culture as a resource and an opportunity to establish positive attitudes toward different cultures and languages. 

According to Banks (2002) there are five dimensions of multicultural education. By following these dimensions, you can create positive attitudes for different cultures in your classroom. The first dimension is called “Content integration”, and is about applying texts from different cultures and the resources available in the classroom (for example the pupils) in your teaching. An example of this can be to read, analyse and compare the various versions of the Cinderella story from many different cultures. The second dimension is “Knowledge construction”, where the teacher helps the pupils to become critical thinkers. This can be achieved by using a different version of the story about the three little pigs, called “The true story of the three little pigs”. This version is told from the wolf’s perspective, and so the pupils can learn that everyone are entitled to have a different point of view on different topics. Also they can discuss whether it is fair to judge someone if one does not know the whole story.

The third dimension of multicultural education is “Equity pedagogy”. In short it is about meeting the diverse needs of your students, using different teaching styles. An example of activity is to look at the linguistic diversity in for example free writing and in-class discussions. The fourth dimension is called “Prejudice reduction”, and is an important dimension to make the pupils more positive towards different cultures. This dimension can be achieved by for example being pen pals with other schools that have different cultural mixture. The final and fifth dimension is “Empowering school culture and social structure”, and is simply about using all the other four dimensions to establish a healthy and safe environment for all. This can be done by encouraging diversity in school activities, such as sports, clubs, prom and so on (Banks, 2002, p.3-4). 

The varieties of English

According to Jenkins (2009) there are four categories of English; (ENL) English as a native language, (ESL) English as a second language, (EFL) English as a foreign language, and (ELF) English as a lingua franca. To discuss which category I believe Norwegian learners belong to, I must first elaborate what each category implies. 

English as a native language (ENL) is referred to those who are born and raised in countries that has the traditional cultural and linguistic bases of English, where English is the historically first language to be spoken. The second category, English as a second language (ESL), refers to the countries whom once were colonised by the British Empire, where the language is still spoken in large parts of the territories. English as a foreign language (EFL) is for those whom does not have a purpose for using English within their countries, but did have use for it at some point earlier in the history. The last category is English as a lingua franca (ELF). This category of English is used for internal purposes within a country, such as to communicate with people from other countries. It becomes a common language to create a bridge between non-native speakers of English (Jenkins, 2009, p.15-17).

Based on the previous descriptions of the 4 categorizations of English, I believe Norwegian learners belong to the ELF-category because we teach it to enable the pupils to communicate with foreign people, but also to expand their possibilities for acquiring knowledge through English-written sources. By enabling pupils to communicate and gather information about other cultures, you also contribute to create a bridge between different cultures and eradicate prejudices. 

Because of globalization and the increased requirements for English competence when applying for jobs and creating networks, I would argue that it has become more important to teach English as a second language to prepare the pupils for a world in constant change. Also, English as a global language seems to be increasing, and therefore it is important to be able to keep up with the rest of the world and to communicate with different cultures. Furthermore, the Norwegian language is limited by its vocabulary so that one can only acquire so much information or knowledge about a subject before you have reached “the top”. We should make sure the pupils are aware of these benefits of learning English as a second language, to get them engaged in their learning.

Literature:

Banks, J.A. (n.d.). Five Dimensions of Multicultural Education. Sourced 18.03.16 from http://educ625spring2011.pbworks.com/w/page/34278231/JAMES%20BANKS-MULTICULTURALISM

Jenkins, J. (2009). World Englishes: A resource book for students. 2^nd edition. London: Routledge.

Mustad, J., Rahbek, U. & Sevaldsen, J. (2012). Modern Britain: Developments in Contemporary British Society. Oslo: Cappelen Damm AS.

Oxfordindex. (n.d.). Multilingual. Sourced 18.03.16 from http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100215752?rskey=XuDsC4&result=0&q=multilingual

Rattansi, A. (2011). Multiculuralism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. Sourced 17.03.16 from http://www.veryshortintroductions.com/view/10.1093/actrade/9780199546039.001.0001/actrade-9780199546039-chapter-2