“Vi lär oss språk genom språk” : En kvalitativ intervjustudie om hur lärare främjar språk- och kunskapsutveckling i flerspråkiga F-3-klassrum

Sammanfattning: Over the past few decades, as a result of globalization and increasing global migration, Sweden has witnessed significant demographic changes. This has created a multicultural and multi-linguistic society.  New languages, backgrounds and more differences to take into account have presented teachers with a challenging task in designing their teaching. Teachers' attitudes towards students’ languages and methods that acknowledge and encourage the use of students’ full linguistic repertoire are highlighted as essential in order to create conditions in which the students can succeed. Despite this, it appears in previous research that many teachers lack sufficient pedagogical tools in order to provide the students with the linguistic stimulus they require. The aim of this qualitative study is to examine and contribute with knowledge about how language developing approaches might promote learning in multilingual F-3 classrooms. The aim is formulated through the following research questions:   ·       How to the teachers describe that the language development approach affects their teaching? ·       How do the teachers describe the opportunities and obstacles they experience when it comes to taking advantage of students’ linguistic resources in teaching?    The data for this study has been collected through four semi-structured interviews with teachers with experiences of teaching in multilingual classrooms. The study’s theoretical basis is based on the theory of social practices where learning and language development is described as a result of the interaction and interplay amongst the students and teachers in the classroom's social context. The results show that the teachers have a positive attitude towards multilingualism and that the teaching is designed with a particular focus on language development. In the result the teachers also give prominence to showing curiosity towards students' languages and creating conditions for understanding and participation as key factors in promoting students’ language and knowledge development. The teachers further explain the positive effects that occur when students' first languages are lifted and used in the teaching and emphasizes that small actions can have big effects on students’ identity and knowledge development.