Abstract:

For more than twenty years, education policy in French-speaking Switzerland - supported by the findings of research into multilingualism and the academic success of allophone pupils - has advocated a paradigm shift in teaching practice in relation to the reception and support of migrant pupils. Structural changes, particularly in terms of selection and training of teachers in a plurilingual and intercultural practice, far removed from social stereotypes and prejudices, are two imponderables in the development of an inclusive school (Bader & Fibbi, 2013).

Since 2014, the continuous professional development branch of the University of Teacher Education of the Cantons of Bern, Jura and Neuchâtel (HEP-BEJUNE) has been offering a two-stage, 14-day course. It aims to understand better the current migratory context and its consequences on the school organisation, the identification of the necessary requirements for the pupil’s success as well as a close collaboration between school and family. Under certain conditions, this training can be integrated into a Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS in Education & Plurilingualism), giving greater visibility to the skills developed in this field.

This contribution features the follow-up and evaluation of this training scheme. The first part, based on the reflective texts collected at the beginning of the training, highlights areas of tension between the reality in the field and the status (or role) of the teacher in an intercultural environment. The second part attempts to measure the changes in the trainees’ stance through an analysis of the reflective texts content returned at the halfway point of the curriculum. Finally, the third part looks at the application of the tools covered during the entire training course, based on three semi-structured interviews conducted with people who have completed the CAS in Education & Plurilingualism.

Keywords:

Interculturality, language, plurilingualism, lifelong learning.