Slovenian Primary School Pupils’ Perception of Plurilingual Competence

Abstract

Since plurilingual competence is crucial for effective communication, cultural understanding, cognitive development, and professional and personal growth, it should also be prioritised in education to enable the continuous development of individuals. One of the most critical aspects of achieving plurilingual competence is creating a stimulating environment that ensures that language learning and use take place in a way that appeals to all pupils. However, there is little research on pupils’ perceptions of plurilingualism and its stimulating environment at the primary level. Therefore, the study’s main aim was to investigate their perceptions, which resulted in a primarily quantitative research method. As a data collection tool an online survey with a combination of a questionnaire and Likert scales statements, which were based on the Framework of Reference for Pluralistic Approaches to Languages and Cultures, was developed. For this reason, the article concentrates on determining the level and quality of primary school pupils’ knowledge, skills and attitudes regarding languages and their associated cultures, as well as on identifying pupils’ opinions, perceptions, and motivational factors. The research study addressed pupils aged 9 to 14. The results indicate that pupils are inclined towards language learning, perceive the importance of plurilingual competence, and express confidence in speaking in foreign languages. However, pupils seem unable to assess their metalinguistic and metacultural knowledge and skills.

Keywords

• plurilingual competence
• primary school pupils
• framework of reference for pluralistic approaches to languages and cultures