Abstract
Several researchers have drawn attention to the educational challenge posed by multilingual classes where students from different linguistic backgrounds coexist. Current institutional initiatives in Europe, but also elsewhere, advocate for the maintenance and promotion of multilingual and multicultural diversity within both monolingual and multilingual classrooms. In this study located in Spain, we were interested in exploring the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) vocabulary production and FL categorization of a group of heritage bilinguals in comparison with their mainstream monolingual peers. Results from a categorization task revealed that on most measures taken, heritage bilinguals, despite being a more heterogenous group, performed similarly in terms of vocabulary production in general, and as compared against the framework of a standard pre-B1 Cambridge vocabulary list, FL categorization, and typicality structures. The levelling effect of the EFL class is claimed to be accountable for this lack of differences. Furthermore, we dare speculate the generalization of CLIL could play in favour of more inclusive classes where immigrant learners are not left behind and can realise their potential to the fullest.
Zusammenfassung
Mehrere Forscher haben auf die pädagogische Herausforderung aufmerksam gemacht, die mehrsprachige Klassen darstellen, in denen Schüler mit unterschiedlichem sprachlichen Hintergrund zusammenleben. Aktuelle institutionelle Initiativen in Europa, aber auch anderswo, setzen sich für die Erhaltung und Förderung der mehrsprachigen und multikulturellen Vielfalt sowohl in einsprachigen als auch in mehrsprachigen Klassen ein. In dieser in Spanien durchgeführten Studie untersuchten wir die Wortschatzproduktion in Englisch als Fremdsprache (EFL) und die FS-Kategorisierung einer Gruppe von zweisprachigen Schülern im Vergleich zu ihren einsprachigen Mitschülern. Die Ergebnisse einer Kategorisierungsaufgabe zeigten, dass die zweisprachigen Kinder mit Migrationshintergrund, obwohl sie eine heterogenere Gruppe darstellten, bei den meisten Messwerten ähnliche Leistungen erbrachten, was die Wortschatzproduktion im Allgemeinen und im Vergleich zu einer Standard-Pre-B1-Cambridge-Wortschatzliste, die FS-Kategorisierung und typische Strukturen anbelangt. Es wird behauptet, dass der Nivellierungseffekt des EFL-Kurses für dieses Fehlen von Unterschieden verantwortlich ist. Darüber hinaus wagen wir die Vermutung, dass die Verallgemeinerung von CLIL einen integrativeren Unterricht begünstigen könnte, in dem Lernende mit Migrationshintergrund nicht zurückgelassen werden und ihr Potenzial voll ausschöpfen können.
Resumen
Varios investigadores han llamado la atención sobre el reto educativo que plantean las clases multilingües en las que coexisten alumnos de distintos orígenes lingüísticos. Las iniciativas institucionales actuales en Europa, pero también en otros lugares, abogan por el mantenimiento y la promoción de la diversidad multilingüe y multicultural dentro de las aulas monolingües y multilingües. En este estudio localizado en España, nos interesaba explorar la producción de vocabulario en inglés como lengua extranjera (EFL) y la categorización en LE de un grupo de bilingües de herencia en comparación con sus compañeros monolingües convencionales. Los resultados de una tarea de categorización revelaron que en la mayoría de las medidas tomadas, los bilingües de herencia, a pesar de ser un grupo más heterogéneo, tuvieron un desempeño similar en términos de producción de vocabulario en general, y en comparación con el marco de una lista estándar de vocabulario pre-B1 de Cambridge, categorización LE y estructuras de tipicidad. Se afirma que el efecto nivelador de la clase de EFL es responsable de esta falta de diferencias. Además, nos atrevemos a especular que la generalización del AICLE podría jugar a favor de clases más inclusivas en las que los alumnos inmigrantes no se queden atrás y puedan desarrollar al máximo su potencial.
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Appendix
Tests of between-groups effects for token production (14 randomly selected local participants and 14 heritage participants)
| Semantic category | F | Sig. | T | df | Sig. (two-tailed) |
| Body | 1.920 | .178 | 0.994 | 26 | .329 |
| Clothes | .055 | .817 | 2.037 | 26 | .052 |
| House | 2.653 | .115 | .358 | 26 | .723 |
| Make | .919 | .346 | .732 | 26 | .471 |
| Food drink | .538 | .470 | .735 | 26 | .469 |
| Black white | .968 | .334 | -2.357 | 26 | .026 |
| Sad | 2.391 | .134 | -.834 | 26 | .412 |
| School | .18 | .896 | .706 | 26 | .486 |
| Town | .555 | .463 | .587 | 26 | .562 |
| Countryside | 5.451 | .028 | .975 | 26 | .339 |
| Love | .419 | .523 | -.479 | 26 | .636 |
| Animals | .038 | .846 | 1.330 | 26 | .195 |
| Hobbies | 4.854 | .037 | .535 | 26 | .597 |
| Professions | 3.874 | .060 | .563 | 26 | .578 |
| Hate | .210 | .650 | -1.942 | 26 | .063 |
Tests of between-groups effects for ILAI (14 randomly selected local participants and 14 heritage participants)
| Semantic category | F | Sig. | T | df | Sig. (two-tailed) |
| Body | 15.964 | .000 | 7.780 | 17.848 | .000 |
| Clothes | 9.740 | .004 | 8.606 | 17.344 | .000 |
| House | 2.502 | .126 | 4.131 | 26 | .000 |
| Make | 6.543 | .017 | -.761 | 22.473 | .454 |
| Food drink | 2.864 | .103 | 4.695 | 26 | .000 |
| Black white | 2.839 | .104 | -2.515 | 26 | .018 |
| Sad | .359 | .555 | .368 | 26 | .716 |
| School | 6.846 | .015 | 1.527 | 18.234 | .072 |
| Town | .323 | .575 | 2.818 | 26 | .005 |
| Countryside | 24.115 | .000 | 2.372 | 14.878 | .032 |
| Love | 3.720 | .065 | -.382 | 26 | .706 |
| Animals | .107 | .746 | 3.822 | 26 | .000 |
| Hobbies | 11.880 | .002 | 1.636 | 17.641 | .057 |
| Professions | 3.238 | .084 | -1.683 | 26 | .052 |
| Hate | 3.903 | .059 | -4.160 | 26 | .000 |
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