systematic review of research on multilingualism in challenging contexts

Abstract

The dissertation, of limited scope, reviewed existing research on multilingualism in challenging educational contexts. The aim was to explore and determine the state of research in the area of multilingualism in educational contexts that are considered challenging, over the time period 2010 to 2020. In addition, the dissertation of limited scope also explored the benefits of multilingualism and how the current state of research influences future research through the identification of trends and gaps. The research was collected and identified through a rigorous process whereby specific search strategies were used with particular keywords. Distinct databases such as JSTOR PsycARTICLES, Academic Search Complete, and Linguistic Collection as well as other journal and Internet resources were used to obtain 34 studies relevant to the research questions of the dissertation of limited scope. The results showed that 1) research related for multilingualism in challenging contexts of education is centred around the trends of pedagogical practices of learning, first language as the language of instruction, academic achievement and the resourcefulness of multilingualism, 2) multilingualism in 3) there is great opportunity for future research in this linguistic and academic area due to the lack of research and visible gaps in the literature over the last ten years. As there has been no previous overview, the findings provide a theoretical contribution to research on multilingualism in challenging contexts. They both encourage future research in a South African context and also indicate that research in other similar global contexts should be conducted. The findings provide an overview of relevant information for any parties that may be interested in this area of multilingualism and serve as a reference point for further research.