Bridging cultures and languages: Universal Design for Learning and Plurilingual methodologies. An investigation on secondary-school education.

Abstract

This thesis aims to reflect on the composition of the cultural and linguistical background in Italian secondary schools, particularly in the Veneto Region, and how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and other plurilingual practices might have positive effects on plurilingual and pluricultural identities of classrooms. First, statistical analysis will examine students’ average cultural and linguistic composition in Italian secondary schools. Consequently, a broader conceptual examination of students’ identity will be conducted, considering several concepts, such as: diversity and differences, linguistic and cultural repertoires, and Gardener’s theory of multiple intelligences (MI). Second, this thesis will focus on UDL, its guiding principles and its possible correlation with multiple technologies. Third, the concept of multilingualism will be addressed, with particular attention to the principles of translanguaging, intercomprehension and a range of educational interventions. Finally, an investigation using a qualitative-quantitative methodology related to the Italian secondary school within the Veneto Region will be presented. The study aims to investigate teachers' awareness of multilingual practices, whether teachers currently employ or are willing to employ these practices into their daily teaching methods, and whether the incorporation of UDL and other plurilingual practices may assist teachers in fully acknowledge students’ identities within their classrooms.