Legitimizing Linguistic Diversity: The Promise of Plurilingualism in Canadian Schools

Abstract

Policies and practice related to the production and treatment of human difference and diversity figure prominently in educational discourse related to language and identity (Piccardo, 2013; Schecter & Cummins, 2003; Wenger, 1999).  In this article, we undertake a historical review of Canadian language and multicultural policy and how it has shaped educational practice in Canadian schools. In response, we advance a critical understanding of plurilingualism as it more accurately reflects changing communities and conditions of diversity within the global context. Focusing on students as social actors and their ability to use languages for intercultural interactions, our review yields important pedagogical implications for leveraging the dynamism and interconnectedness of language competencies to reimagine Canadian classrooms.