Building accessibility to the disciplinary text: an inclusive resource in multilingual classes at the lower secondary school level

Abstract

In this contribution, we present a reflection on the adaptation of the disciplinary text in lower secondary school explicitly linked to the theme of inclusion in the multilingual class. The adaptation of school texts, usually carried out by teachers as a response for migrant background learners and students with limited language skills who face difficulties in understanding school books, is reformulated to become a functional resource for inclusion that involves the whole class in the operations of facilitation and simplification of the text itself. The article aims to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of the adaptation interventions of the disciplinary text in the context of plurilingual education. The perception of trainee teachers about the applicability of these interventions in an inclusive perspective in the multilingual class will then be presented and followed by some examples from the proposals developed by trainee teachers. In conclusion, future lines of actions will be envisaged aimed at raising awareness of inclusive language education in multilingual contexts.

Keywords

• accessibility
• disciplinary textbook
• multilingual class
• inclusion
• teacher training