Flerspråkighet i gymnasieklassrummet. Utmaningar & språkanpassningar i biologiundervisningen,

Abstract

This literature review examines how multilingualism affects upper secondary school students' learning and opportunities in biology. The study focuses on the challenges that multilingual students face when dealing with subject-specific terminology and language use. Multilingualism, as defined in this study, refers to students who have a language other than Swedish as their mother tongue. Although the Swedish school system recognizes multilingualism as a valuable resource, significant challenges remain in ensuring equal opportunities for all students. The literature review further explores how language challenges affect multilingual students' performance in biology and how biology teachers can adapt their language use in the classroom to increase students' understanding of complex biological concepts. The research also draws on theories of subject-specific literacy and translanguaging to suggest pedagogical strategies for integrating language development into subject teaching. The aim is to improve both language skills and content understanding. The research literature shows that multilingual students often have difficulty understanding the abstract terminology of biology, which is often separated from everyday language. Teacher-led language adaptations, such as translanguaging and the use of multimodal teaching strategies, can significantly improve students' ability to understand biological content. The study concludes by emphasizing the importance of integrating language support into subject teaching.