Crossing linguistic and disciplinary boundaries? Linguistic practices in STEM/S.T.E.M. classrooms, or how a multilingual habit does not make a multilingual monk

ABSTRACT

In this contribution, I reflect on how multilingual pedagogies can be added to STEM and S.T.E.M. practices, in what could be called a ‘double-crossing’: on the one hand, crossing linguistic boundaries and, on the other, crossing specific subject knowledge. Based on a content analysis of teachers’ interviews referring to their pedagogical experiences with a multilingual platform providing subject content in several languages, I reflect on the extent to which and how multilingual STEM and S.T.E.M. pedagogies are implemented and accounted for. More specifically, I analyse the arguments put forward by teachers for using or not using multilingual practices in STEM and S.T.E.M. and I delve into the apparent contradictions underlying the fact that, despite using a multilingual platform, its multilingual affordances are sometimes overlooked, underestimated or even used in monolingualised practices in multilingual settings.

KEYWORDS:

• STEM
• S.T.E.M
• teachers’ beliefs
• multilingual pedagogies
• monolingual mindset

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 I will use STE(A)M and S.T.E.(A).M. with A in brackets to remember the reader that the inclusion of Arts is a possibility that can be further considered.