Teaching English as a Foreign Language in the Multilingual Classroom

• Main Author: Brandal, Maria Halsen
• Other Authors: Beiler, Ingrid Rodrick
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: OsloMet - Storbyuniversitetet 2022
• Subjects: Teachers' conceptions; Multilingualism; Multilingual practices; Multilingual classrooms; English as a Foreign Language; Norway; Northern Norway
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3027360

This master’s thesis is about multilingualism in English teaching. There is an increasing number of multilingual pupils in the Norwegian school, something that provides diverse classrooms with different kinds of needs for facilitation than earlier when most of the students had Norwegian as their first language (L1). In Norway, all pupils have the right to adapted education and to be included in a learning community (Opplæringslova, 1998). Multilingual pupils who participated in English teaching in the Norwegian school may have English as their first language (L1), second language (L2), or third language (L3 or additional language). These students may have other needs than, for example, those students who have Norwegian as L1 and are learning English as L2. Therefore, I think it is important to gain insight into how English teachers can facilitate inclusive teaching in the multilingual English classroom. This micro ethnographic study is aiming to explore how six English teachers from three different parts of the country approach multilingualism in English teaching. My research question is as follows: How do Norwegian English teachers relate to multilingualism in the EFL classroom? This thesis has a qualitative research design, where I use semi-structured interviews as primary data. The participants come from six schools, half of which are located in the Oslo area, and the last three are in western Norway and in northern Norway. The thematic analysis shows some main findings… teachers seem to focus on multilingual students’ English proficiency, but it is difficult for them to name ways in which other languages can be a resource in English teaching as a result of these findings, the study shows that there is a need for a clearer awareness and more knowledge about how English teachers can use students’ first language in English teaching. Denne masteroppgåva handlar om fleirspråklegheit i Engelskundervisninga. Det er ei aukande mengd fleirspråklege elevar i den norske skulen, noko som gir mangfaldige klasserom med ...