Language Policy and Assessment: Sociopolitical and Multilingual Perspectives from Elana Shohamy

Abstract

In this interview, Elana Shohamy discusses the transformative potential of multilingual education in promoting peace and reconciliation in conflict-affected regions. Drawing on her experiences at Tel Aviv University, she emphasizes how multilingual classrooms foster inclusivity and respect among students from diverse backgrounds. Shohamy highlights the importance of elevating minority languages to create equitable educational environments. She explores the interplay between global migration, language education, and sociopolitical dynamics, and advocates for multilingual assessments to better capture immigrants’ competencies. She supports translanguaging and multimodality to help language-minoritized students utilize their full linguistic repertoire. Shohamy critiques traditional language tests for perpetuating inequities by favoring dominant language speakers and calls for reimagining educational policies to empower multilingual learners.

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