Abstract
This multilingual webinar features Anja Binanzer (Leibniz Universität Hannover), Fiona Dalziel (Università degli Studi di Padova) and Marta Guarda (Eurac Research) discussing students’ attitudes towards and perceptions of multilingualism and language use in educational contexts. Binanzer will draw on the findings from a questionnaire-based survey with 308 upper secondary students in Germany, focusing on the perspectives of heritage language speakers (141 respondents). The study investigated what these students think of the handling of migration-related multilingualism in German schools, as well as how they perceive the attitudes of monolingual peers and teachers towards their multilingualism. It also explored whether they would like a stronger consideration of their heritage languages as school subjects or vehicular languages. Moving from secondary to tertiary education, Dalziel and Guarda will report on a study in the context of an Italian university that attracts increasing numbers of international students. Drawing on both questionnaire and interview data with two groups of students (tot. 74 participants), the authors will look into their perceptions as to the use of their home languages in two degree programmes that are entirely taught in English, as well as their conceptualizations of the English language as part of their plurilingual repertoires and identities. The webinar will take place in both English and German. Questions on the part of the audience will be welcome in any of these languages as well as in Italian. The webinar is part of the online series “Diversity Matters” hosted by the Migrations and Diversities research group of Eurac Research. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the webinar series explores the impact of migrations, diversities and mobilities on increasingly superdiverse territorial realities. The series is a forum for experts to share their work and expertise with an audience of fellow academics, students, decision-makers and practitioners.