Implementing plurilingualism in the foreign language classroom

Abstract

This article proposes a plurilingual methodology in the teaching of foreign languages with young and adult learners. The Council of Europe promotes pluralistic approaches for the benefit of all learners, many of whom, nowadays, would already be bi- / plurilingual when they join a foreign language course. Pluralistic methodologies respect and enhance the knowledge, attitudes and skills of learners who have experienced more than one language and culture, and have a heightened metalinguistic awareness, often as a result of having a migratory background. The aim of this paper is to describe a number of pluralistic activities that took place in Malta with three different age groups, and to highlight the objectives stated in the Council of Europe’s Framework of Reference for Pluralistic Approaches to Languages and Cultures (Candelier et al. 2012b).