Linguistic Diversity in Greek Education: Bilingualism and the Utilization of the Mother Language for the Development of an Inclusive Educational Environment

Abstract

Current literature often refers to the importance of the mother language to the enhancement of the inclusion process for students’ with diverse socio-cultural background. Indeed, when the linguistic ability of students is developed in two or more languages affects positively the inclusion of these students to their new school environment. The aim of this literature review was the analysis of linguistic diversity in the Greek educational system. Moreover, to illustrate the utilization of the mother language of the students for the development of an inclusive educational environment. The method which was used to analyze this topic was the literature review in conventional libraries and international digital scientific databases such as Scopus and Google Scholar. The results emphasize the positive benefits of bilingualism in students’ school progress as well as in their linguistic and intellectual development. Most researchers highlight the importance of having mother language classes for all learners who come from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, since by learning their mother language they can fully develop the second language, both communicatively and academically. In conclusion, learning outcomes for bilingual students are even better when the use of previous knowledge from their mother language and culture is allowed, encouraged and maximized, thus accelerating the process of learning the new language.