Multilingual classrooms : Danish teachers’ practices, beliefs and attitudes

Abstract

Multilingualism is a major feature of European schools. The current study examines Danish data regarding teachers’ behaviours, beliefs and attitudes about multilingualism. Data were collected using the Multilingual Classroom Questionnaire (MCQ) devised by the European Literacy Network. Sixty-one participants contributed to the Danish sample (85% females). The teachers who completed the questionnaire had a positive attitude to multilingualism, the value of maintaining and supporting children’s first language (L1), and the importance of proficiency in L1 for developing language and literacy in children’s second language (L2). Teachers’ attitudes were influenced by their competence in a foreign language. Limitations and pedagogical implications of the findings are discussed.