Understanding school-wide dispositions toward second language acquisition and the role of home languages in Flemish primary education

Abstract

This study investigates the dispositions (i.e. knowledge and beliefs) of Flemish educational professionals in primary education toward second language (L2) acquisition and the role of multilingual children’s home languages (L1s). Adopting a mixed-methods design, survey data from 258 educational professionals were analysed alongside open-ended responses from a subsample of 45 participants. Quantitative analyses explored associations between dispositions and background characteristics such as professional role, years of experience, age, and gender, while qualitative data provided insight into the underlying reasoning shaping participants’ dispositions. Findings revealed generally positive orientations toward multilingualism and L1 use, alongside conceptual gaps regarding L2 acquisition. School leaders held more favourable views than teachers or other staff. The qualitative findings revealed a ‘both-and’ orientation: many professionals endorsed an L2-dominant approach while simultaneously acknowledging the cognitive, socio-emotional, and identity-related value of L1 use. These findings challenge binary views of educators’ dispositions and suggest that support for multilingualism can coexist with a strong commitment to L2 development.

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