from a lecturer´s perspective

These findings are the results from the four R/equal partners interviews and group interviews which form the basis of this manual.

Methods

Methods for multilingual courses in higher education

Stockholm University

In the bridging programme (Supplementary Education for Migrant Teachers and Preschool Teachers) at Stockholm University, Supplemental Instruction (SI), is used as a support for first year students. Participants within the bridging programmes are multilingual and have degrees from all over the world. SI is an academic support model that uses peer-assisted study sessions. SI focuses on collaboration in "traditionally difficult" courses.

Participants in the Bridging Programme are invited to participate in SI as the Swedish academic context is new to many internationally trained teachers. The support, which is led by more experienced participants, does not form the basis for assessment but serves as a support for new participants.

www.SI-PASS.lu.se

University of Cologne

In order to organise a course, it is possible to access different pools of teaching methods. The method pool at the Mercator Institute for Literacy and Language Education at the University of Cologne offers a wide range of teaching methods with a special focus on multilingual learning groups. This pool of methods is offered in German and focuses on school teaching. The original versions and many other teaching methods in German can be found here: https://www.mercator-institut-sprachfoerderung.de/de/publikationen/material-fuer-die-praxis/methodenpool/

Three of the methods used in the programme for refugee teachers at the University of Cologne have been translated into English and adapted to the context of higher education: Double Circle, Jigsaw Method and Learning Poster.

Jigsaw_MI toolbox_adaption REQUAL.docx

Double Circle_MI toolbox_adaption REQUAL.docx

Learning Poster_MI toolbox_adaption REQUAL.docx

strategies

Bi- or multilingual teaching strategies are used to varying degrees not only across the programmes but also among lecturers teaching in one programme. Awareness and knowledge of the concept of translingual methodology varies. The following findings can be defined as strategies lecturers are using to teach within the multilingual contexts of the programmes:

Some recommended teaching strategies

Openness towards multilingualism
Using bridging languages
Using multilingual methods in the courses
Multilingual Team-Teaching

1. Openness towards multilingualism

Being a language-sensitive teacher by having a positive attitude towards all different languages in the classroom.

by encouraging participants to use all their language resources while showing their competence
informing yourself, as a teacher, of all languages spoken in the classroom and having a positive attitude to mix languages while communicating both orally and in writing
thinking about which concepts might be hard to understand linguistically and would need further explanation to be understood, explaining them in less complicated terms
enabling the use of dictionaries, or opening up spaces for participants to discuss meanings in different languages
avoiding dialects or spontaneous shifts in teaching methodology

2. Using bridging languages

This is a strategy to enable conjoint work in a multilingual context. Use all of the participants' language resources to format groups, teams, and pairs.

formatting mother-tongue partners, common language teams, language mentors and “language tandem”- pairs.
switch between multilingual and monolingual groups

Use bridging languages to explain.

the bridging language does not necessarily have to be the target language or the participants’ mother tongue

Give space for individual research strategies.

individual research strategies are used, some participants research in their own language, others use English

3. Using multilingual methods in the courses

This is a teaching strategy based on the idea to use all linguistic resources in the group.

Use multilingual methods, tools and teaching material to facilitate the understanding of the course content.

use imagery, theoretical figures, and models, films, revisions of teaching material, bilingual material, technical equipment in teaching
studying a method and at the same time using that method, i.e. "didactic double-decker"
forming mother-tongue partner work phases and common language teams in class, they switch between multilingual and monolingual groups

Use different types of translation methods to create a multilingual classroom.

by translating keywords, -phrases, -concepts, -terminology and teaching material
use translators and translation equipment
translate texts into native language and then translate summary back
edit tasks in native language, discuss in common language

4. Multilingual Team-Teaching

Create conditions for multilingual teaching. This teaching strategy is based on multilingual teams of lecturers working together. A multilingual co-teaching team in the room offers new perspectives.

using multilingual co-teachers or translators in the classroom
creating "multilingual spaces" in the classroom

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