‘Dann geht das nicht … Zie je?’: why do pupils modeswitch in plurilingual conversations?

Chrissy Laurentzen; Sabine Jentges; Margot van Mulken

Ayuda

‘Dann geht das nicht … Zie je?’: why do pupils modeswitch in plurilingual conversations?

Laurentzen, Chrissy ^[1] ; Jentges, Sabine ^[1] ; van Mulken, Margot ^[1]
1. [1] Radboud University Nijmegen
  
  Radboud University Nijmegen
  
  Países Bajos
Localización: Journal of multilingual and multicultural development, ISSN 0143-4632, Vol. 47, Nº. 4, 2026, págs. 2236-2252
Idioma: inglés
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Resumen
- Pupils from the Netherlands and Germany communicate freely with each other switching between communication modes and, thus, using their linguistic repertoire. However, when they perceive that they will be assessed, they express a fear of using their L2/Lx. This fear might be attributed to the monolingual norm prevalent in language education. A plurilingual approach, on the contrary, such as inclusive multilingualism (Backus et al. 2013) [“Inclusive Multilingualism: Concept, Modes and Implications.” European Journal of Applied Linguistics 1 (2): 179–215], might lead to a better communicative competence and the experience of more confidence. In order to develop such an inclusive approach to language learning, it is necessary to analyse plurilingual conversations between pupils from the Netherlands and Germany to answer the questions (1) What communication modes do pupils use when interacting with their peers? (2) Why do they switch between these modes? The results show that all communication modes from the expanded model of inclusive multilingualism (Laurentzen, Jentges, and van Mulken 2024) [““Dürfen wir uns aussuchen, welche Sprache wir spreken in de presentatie?” Inklusive Mehrsprachigkeit in Gesprächen zwischen Schüler:innen aus Deutschland und den Niederlanden.” Zeitschrift für Interaktionsforschung in DaFZ 4 (1): 75–96] were used. Reasons for switching were mainly socially motivated, such as adaption to the partner. Shifting away from the monolingual norm that currently dominates language teaching and adopting a plurilingual perspective on language learning could empower pupils to fully utilise their linguistic repertoire in plurilingual contexts, whether or not they are being assessed.