Routledge Further Language Learning in Linguistic and Cultural Diverse Contexts: A Mixed Methods Research in a European Border Region (Routledge Research in Language Education)

Further Language Learning in Linguistic and Cultural Diverse Contexts deals with the interdisciplinary area of multilingual and intercultural education and the increasing interest in sociolinguistic and sociocultural aspects of further language learning. It presents the individual, family, scholastic, and extra-scholastic circumstances that promote or limit language learning and its outcomes among young learners of a further language. The intertwined, dynamic interrelationship between intercultural and language learning at primary school is shown by means of the European border region South Tyrol that is characteristic for its linguistic and cultural diversity and serves to demonstrate authentic benefits, challenges, and difficulties in hyper complex and super-diverse contexts. The book analyzes experiences and perceptions as reported by primary school teachers, children, and parents, considering the impact of many factors on further language learning, including school organization, extra curricular activities, and self-initiated encounter pedagogy. Further Language Learning in Linguistic and Cultural Diverse Contexts will be vital reading for academics, researchers, and post-graduate students in the fields of education, language learning, sociolinguistics, interculturalism, and super-diversity. Review This book is adapted from Barbara Gross’s doctoral thesis, which won the SPES Award 2019 from the Società di politica educazione e storia (SPES). "This book is excellent. It shows that language learning is not a neat linear process but a highly dynamic activity influenced by a complex interaction of learner-internal and learner-external variables. South Tyrol offers a perfect multilingual background for this mixed methods investigation." Jean-Marc Dewaele, Birkbeck, University of London. "The book is an excellent theoretical, methodological and empirical analysis of intercultural and multilingual settings and their effects on educational processes. It consists of a sound and critical analysis of the state of the art, uses a clever mixed methods research design, and empirically shows how individual factors, family and the school environment, and the social context determine language learning in complex intercultural settings. It also draws practical conclusions. Intercultural education research on the right, modern track!" Edwin Keiner, Professor of Education, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy. "In light of the growing need for diverse language skills in today’s globalized world, as well as the cognitive benefits that multilingualism can accrue, Barbara Gross presents a comprehensive account of the complex process of language learning. Taking a holistic perspective, she considers individual characteristics, family circumstances, and influences of the teaching and learning environment – all which bear upon language learning. The setting for Gross’s investigation is South Tyrol, a region unique for its linguistic and cultural diversity. This book enriches knowledge on language learning at the regional level, with relevance for other linguistically and culturally diverse societies." Prof Dr Ingrid Gogolin & Antje Hansen, Universität Hamburg. About the Author Barbara Gross is a Researcher and Lecturer at the Faculty of Education at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy. Her current research activities focus mainly on linguistic and cultural diversity in educational settings.