CULTURAL IDENTITY AND SOCIAL INTERACTION IN MULTILINGUAL EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS: A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

A multilingual school environment is dynamic in the way that cultural identities are constantly shaped, negotiated, and expressed. As classrooms begin to have an influx of children coming from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, it has become paramount that one tries to understand how cultural identity affects the nature of social interaction so as to cultivate an inclusive and viable learning community. From a cultural perspective, identity constitutes a shared system of meanings, values, beliefs, and linguistic practices that determine how students oppose themselves or subject others in the school context Research indicates that students, when recognized and valued for their linguistic and cultural background, tend to become more engaged, confident, and active in academics (García, O., & Wei, L., 2018). As a qualitative comparative research, this study focuses on multilingual school environments in Greece. Data were gathered from semi-structured interviews held with the secondary school teachers and students of immigrant backgrounds in three urban schools with high linguistic diversity. (Wulandari, Hidayat, Amalia, & Fadli, 2024). The objective was to examine mechanisms of the expression of cultural identity in peer interactions, classroom interactions, and teacher-student communications and ways school practices support or obstruct such interaction inclusively. (Bouzid & Javier, 2024) The theoretical framework builds on sociocultural theory and translanguaging pedagogy; language is an instrument of communication but also a means of identity construction and social belonging (García, O., & Wei, L., 2018). Preliminary results signal that the opportunity for students to use parts of their mother tongue for classroom purposes, either through explicit acts of translanguaging or informal peer-to-peer communication, informs their sense of being supported and facilitates emotional security. Teachers who implement culturally responsive pedagogy that includes such strategies as recognizing cultural celebrations, incorporating multilingual resources, or encouraging students to share narratives contribute toward fostering positive social interaction and reducing cultural isolation between students On the contrary, treating linguistic diversity merely as a "problem" instead of a resource aggravates social fragmentation and disengagement by multilingual students. The research puts more emphasis on a need for continuous professional development for teachers, in areas of intercultural sensitivity, multilingualism, and identity-affirming diplomacy. School climates must develop whereby cultural and linguistic differences become normalized, rather than marginalizing, enhancing social interaction, academic engagement, and common values. The findings emphasize that, with support, multilingualism can certainly serve as a conduit toward social cohesion in modern educational spaces. (Pokhrel, 2022).