Awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity in primary school: strategies of curricular insertion

Abstract

This article presents a study with action-research characteristics, developed in the context of a pedagogical internship and implemented in a class of the 3rd year of schooling. The study focuses on raising awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity (SDLC) aiming to develop curricularly planned learning and transversal skills in students, enabling them to live in a globalized world. It aims to understand ways of inserting children’s languages in educational practices, experimenting with strategies and resources and reflecting on their contribution to the development of different skills in children and in the teacher in initial training. 

The aforementioned project was developed within the scope of the Master in Teaching of the 1st Cycle of Basic Education and Teaching of Portuguese and History and Geography of Portugal in the 2nd Cycle of Basic Education in order to support the professional and personal development of the teacher in training expanding your knowledge about SDLC. Believing that SDLC proves to be one of the possible ways to face the challenge that globalization represents for schools, this project had as its main purposes: i) to develop students’ knowledge, attitudes, values and capacities so that they are good people succeeded in a society that is increasingly globalized and plurilingual; ii) understand the advantages of the SDLC curriculum insertion in the context of teaching-learning and training; iii) Develop an SDLC project using a Multilingual Kamishibai. Data were collected through field notes, photographs, linguistic biography completed at the beginning of the project and focus group interviews conducted at the end of the project. 

The results of this investigation suggest that students developed knowledge, skills, attitudes and values, having registered a greater curiosity towards languages, after contacting the surrounding linguistic diversity and plurality. This also allowed them to advocate attitudes of respect and appreciation towards the Other, appreciating the diversity of linguistic and cultural repertoires, being more awake to modes of global communication. In turn, the teacher in initial training developed knowledge about the SDLC approach, activities and resources, as well as the ability to reflect on the project developed and its repercussions on students and on herself, despite the difficulty of operationalizing different strategies initially due to time and curriculum restrictions.