Twenty-Sixth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

Globalization and recent demographic shifts have significantly reshaped the linguistic and cultural landscape of schools, including those in Quebec, Canada. Many students are not only learning academic content but also acquiring the language of instruction. This reality underscores the need for pedagogical approaches that acknowledge and leverage students’ plurilingual repertoires (García, 2018; Armand, 2021). Such approaches benefit all learners: those acquiring the school language can draw on prior linguistic knowledge, while others gain exposure to linguistic diversity, fostering inclusive education (Borri-Anadon et al., 2015). As part of a research project conducted in Montreal, three plurilingual picture books were read in two Grade 1 classrooms. These books were translated and recorded in over thirty languages through a collaboration with two children’s publishing houses. The picture books, along with their translations and audio recordings, were accessible via a scroll-down menu on a digital platform. Following classroom readings, twelve parent–child dyads revisited the books at home. Half of the parents reported having a home language other than French or English, offering a unique opportunity to observe how plurilingual resources were mobilized in families with diverse linguistic backgrounds. Drawing on video recordings from 36 reading sessions, we examine how the available languages were used in both school and family contexts. Findings highlight the importance of actively promoting linguistic diversity within educational settings and beyond. Encouraging openness and curiosity toward languages other than those officially sanctioned in schools contributes to inclusive attitudes and supports the broader goal of social cohesion in multilingual societies.