Call for Papers Vol. 19 N. 2/2021: Multilingualism and the reception of mother tongues of children of foreign origin in educational and school contexts
The phenomena of transnational mobility at global level bring a plurality of different peculiarities into social, scholastic and educational contexts and in relation to this fact, for some time now, educational systems have been faced with the need to consider multiple aspects related to the reception of children with a migrant background, their opportunities for socialisation and learning, their growth and well-being, their possibilities for future fulfilment and active participation in society. Within this multifaceted heterogeneity, from gender, to the variety of somatic features and skin colours, up to the different individual life projects, values, cultural, religious and linguistic references, we intend to devote this issue of the magazine Intercultural Education 2/2021 to the aspect of mother tongues and the encounter with different languages that involves those who find themselves living in a linguistic-cultural context different from the one they were born in. The complex experience of migration - whether personal and direct or lived by children through family paths - also involves for the individual the task of managing two or more languages, in a condition of drastic changes and delicate balances to be maintained and/or reconstituted; a condition within which, hopefully, to structure an integral and integrated identity, a necessary basis for a harmonious growth. Schools and educational contexts in general have the responsibility to take into account the linguistic heritage brought by those who arrive in a new context and to act with the awareness that a language is not a glove, a disposable instrument and cannot simply be taken off to put on another one, since it innervates our psychological life, our memories, associations, mental schemes (Tullio De Mauro). In the knowledge that through the first communicative contacts with the surrounding environment children not only acquire a language as a means of expression, but also rules, representations and shared meanings. They internalise a logic and a conceptual order that structures and shapes, makes them understand their place in the world. Because through that language they build their identity day after day (Graziella Favaro). In the light of scientific studies that have shown the possible critical aspects but mostly the advantages of bilingualism, and have underlined the importance of maintaining the mother tongue for the positive and beneficial learning of the so-called L2 (see, for example, Ellen Bialystok Jim Cummins; Gabriele Pallotti; Edith Cognigni; Raffaella Biagioli and Gloria Giudizi), as well as support for self-esteem and individual (and group) identity, not only questions concerning the teaching of Italian as a second language arise, but also - and possibly in synergy - crucial questions about how to enhance different linguistic heritages in educational and scholastic contexts. Is it possible to make these “heritages” a resource available to everyone in a plural sense, both native and non-native speakers? What contribution can the pedagogy and education intercultural perspective make in this context? What contribution, if any, can the anthropology of education make to an analysis of educational settings?
With Vol. 19, N. 2, of the journal Intercultural Education. Theories, Research, Practices, which will be published in November 2021, we intend to create a monographic dossier that encourages reflection and exchange around these questions. The call is open to professors and researchers in the academic field and is intended as an opportunity to take stock of the state of the art of research on the maintenance of languages (and with them aspects of cultures) of origin in children with a migrant background and, more generally, on the pedagogical and intercultural educational implications of multilingualism, opening up to contributions of a theoretical and research nature, as well as to applications, and providing examples of planning and/or interventions implemented in different educational and school contexts.
The editors of the monographic dossier, Stefania Lorenzini (University of Bologna) and Sara Giulivi (SUPSI, CH) are waiting for abstracts to be sent no later than 10 June 2021, will give feedback on acceptance/rejection by 20 June, and will expect complete contributions no later than 10 September 2021. Double-blind refereeing will follow. The rules for authors can be found at https://educazione-interculturale.unibo.it/about/submissions#authorGuidelines
Abstracts and contributions should be sent to the following 3 email addresses: educazione.interculturale@unibo.it; stefania.lorenzini4@unibo.it; Sara.Giulivi@supsi.ch
