"I was definitely motivated!" – Pupils' perspectives on the use of multilingualism in the classroom

Abstract

Students’ heritage languages often remain untapped as a resource for learning in mainstream classrooms. This mixed-methods study explores how secondary school students in Germany perceive and engage with multilingual practices in science education. Drawing on data from the DFG-funded project “Physics Education in the Context of Linguistic Diversity” (PhyDiv), we combine quantitative survey data (N=436) and qualitative interview data (n=9) to examine students’ attitudes, experiences, and motivations regarding heritage language use in class. Survey data indicate that, in student’s experience, the use of languages other than German is typically not permitted in class, making multilingual practices unfamiliar to most of them. Many supported a monolingual classroom policy. However, students who had been explicitly encouraged to use their heritage languages during group work expressed significantly more positive attitudes than their peers. Interview data from multilingual students who used Turkish in partner- and group work highlights that heritage language use was associated with positive emotions, increased engagement, and perceived learning support. At the same time, students’ willingness to use their heritage language was shaped by their self-perceived language proficiency and the language skills of peers. Overall, the findings emphasize the potential of multilingual pedagogies to enhance classroom inclusion and challenge monolingual norms—provided that teachers actively support students in viewing their linguistic resources as legitimate and valuable. The study concludes with implications for classroom practice and teacher education, advocating multilingual-inclusive teaching as a strategy not only for language development but also for promoting engagement, well-being, and equity.