Page 100 - Diversity in Action

Natascha J. Taslimi, Ursula Maurič, and Karin Steiner

and values all languages as vital cultural treasures. Such recognition bene-
fits educational institutions, society at large, and contributes to peaceful and
supportive coexistence both locally and globally. In this chapter, we illus-
trate this potential through the example of the voXmi educational network,
which, since 2008, has been assisting schools and, since 2022, kindergartens
in professionally working with multilingual learner groups and fostering
environments where every language is welcomed and nurtured (Maurič,
2015).
At a time when nationalistic imaginaries of society are constantly grow-
ing, which, on the one hand, brings the critical reflection on the construc-
tion of ideas about one’s own identity and belonging into focus and, on the
other hand, often also means social exclusion and marginalisation based on
group affiliation (Mylonas & Tudor, 2021), the concern to strengthen diver-
sity is particularly challenging. More than ever, it is worth thinking about
which approaches to learning theory enable social transformation and do
justice to the diversity present in the classroom. We embark on a search
for transformative approaches to teaching and learning in the context of
language education and describe, among other things, the concept of rhi-
zomatic learning, which states that instead of following a fixed curriculum
designed by experts, learning happens through active participation and col-
laboration among learners themselves (Cormier, 2008). This approach values
the contributions of everyone involved and encourages flexible construction
of knowledge.

Linguistic Diversity and Society: What Are the Biggest Challenges?
In today’s globalised world, migration has made societies more linguistically
diverse than ever before. This diversity shapes social structures, cultural iden-
tities, and shared values in complex ways. Living together in such diverse
societies involves many social, economic, and political factors, where differ-
ent perspectives, histories, and interests meet. People and groups often have
very different views on whether linguistic diversity is a chance to enrich so-
ciety or a challenge to social cohesion. This contributes to the complexity
of the subject area that makes language education in schools and kinder-
gartens both important and challenging (Gouma & Döll, 2023).
For this very reason, language education needs holistic and interdisci-
plinary approaches that consider each learner’s individual background. We
need language policies that promote inclusion and support collaboration
across all levels of education. This helps develop comprehensive linguis-
tic literacy – a skill set that includes all the languages children bring with

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