ABSTRACT
In most language-awareness materials currently being developed in Britain, some reference is made to minority community languages. This chapter focuses on multilingual dimension of language-awareness work. It examines linguistic diversity approaches in the light of some of the claims that have been made about the benefits of undertaking language-awareness work in the multilingual classroom. Hawkins advocated a multilingual approach to language-awareness work: one which would incorporate both minority community languages and foreign languages into the comparative study of human language. A number of published language-awareness materials invite teachers and pupils to start out by documenting the linguistic diversity represented in their class, in their school or in their local neighbourhood. In schools where language-awareness courses with a multilingual component have been introduced, speakers of minority community languages are unlikely to be the main beneficiaries. The development of a more explicitly critical pedagogy would therefore complement the work that some community language teachers are already doing.
