Exploring linguistic repertoires : applications for writing

In this chapter, I draw on work from a recent research project that engaged culturally and linguistically diverse young people in stages 3 and 4 classrooms in studying the ways they used language inside and outside of their classroom (D'warte, 2013, 2014, 2015). The young people in this study participated in a series of lessons and activities that required them to document and analyse how, when, and in what ways, they used one or more languages to read, write, talk, listen and view in their everyday worlds. A key goal of this project was to facilitate opportunities for teachers and students to recognize and build on students' home languages in service of English learning. Many young people increasingly express a desire for their home language/s to be acknowledged and validated in both their classrooms and in the wider school community; the following comment of one Stage 3 student clearly expresses this desire and offers an explanation of why this is important for many multilingual young people: I want people to know my language then they will know my personality.