Page 32 - Diversity in Action

Silva Bratož, Anja Pirih, Anita Sila, and Mojca Žefran

analysed preschool children’s responses to the various dimensions of the
model. Čeh (2022) implemented the model in the first-grade primary school
settings, examining children’s reactions to activities designed around the
model. Jolić Kozina et al. (2024) explored the model’s potential for fostering
language awareness among primary school children. Additionally, Žefran et
al. (2025) assessed the model’s effectiveness in preschool settings.

The Journey Metaphor
The DivCon model employs the metaphor of a journey to represent the de-
velopment of plurilingual competence. This metaphor is pivotal as it offers
children a conceptual framework to visualise their learning path, fostering an
awareness of diversity. Through an imaginary train journey, children ‘travel’
to various countries, engaging with the languages and cultures they en-
counter using multisensory experiences such as movement, singing, tasting,
and artistic expression. The experience is brought to life by having children
move around the classroom following a makeshift engine (e.g., a cardboard
train), accompanied by the ‘Choo choo choo’ song, which begins slowly and
builds into a rapid rhythm, mimicking a train’s departure. This simulation re-
inforces the journey metaphor, enriching children’s exploration of linguistic
and cultural diversity.
The journey metaphor is intricately embedded throughout the model,
influencing songs, learning activities, and props such as passports, a sta-
tionmaster’s whistle, and postcards. Teachers can also use items like a suit-
case containing objects from different countries to deepen the connection
between the metaphor and the learning process. The model is grounded
in the principles of metaphorical thinking, recognising the significant role
metaphors play in shaping perceptions of abstract concepts, including lin-
guistic and cultural diversity. This aligns with the conceptual theory of met-
aphor (Lakoff, 1993; Lakoff & Johnson, 1980), which posits that the metaphor
of life as a journey is a fundamental aspect of human cognition, influencing
how we experience learning and diversity.
The studies by Bratož and Sila (2022) and Jolić Kozina et al. (2024) have
proven the journey metaphor to be a stimulating and effective contextual
framework. Teachers involved in the study observed that children enthusi-
astically embraced the metaphor, actively participating in role-playing activ-
ities such as simulating a train journey and taking on roles like passengers,
station master, and engine driver. Children also showed a strong interest in
sharing personal experiences, such as trips abroad or visits to relatives, often
highlighting specific attractions like a volcanic beach in Tenerife or a shop-

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