AboutAbout PLURI

PLURI (Plurilingualism for Better Education, Cohesion and Linguistic Diversity) is a two-year European project co-funded by the European Union. It explores how multilingualism can become a more visible and natural part of education and everyday community life.

Many people use more than one language in their daily lives. They may speak one language with their parents, another at school or work, and several more with friends, relatives, and in different communities. However, educational institutions do not always recognise this multilingual experience as a valuable resource. PLURI wants to help change this.

Working across Finland and Germany, the project team engages with educators, families, students, researchers, community organisations, and others interested in multilingualism. Together, we explore ways of creating learning environments that welcome different languages and communication methods.

Language is much more than just a tool for exchanging information. It is connected to family, memory, a sense of belonging, education, identity, and how we participate in society.

Europe is highly multilingual. Alongside national and regional languages, people use hundreds of family, community and migration languages. Many children grow up hearing, speaking, reading or understanding several languages, however, not all languages are treated equally.

Some languages are highly visible and valued in education, while others remain largely invisible. Children and adults may also be told to focus on one 'main' language and avoid mixing languages, even though moving between languages is a normal part of their everyday life.

At the PLURI project, we aim to explore multilingualism from a different perspective. We are interested in the ways in which people already use language, how their different languages support one another, and how schools and communities can build on this knowledge and recognise and value it.

We also aim to simplify and promote discussion of language rights. European policies already recognise linguistic diversity and prohibit discrimination based on language. The challenge lies in connecting these principles with everyday practice in classrooms, families, and communities.

The PLURI project creates spaces where these and other language-related themes can be critically explored, rather than prescribing a single simple solution.

PLURI is a two-year project based on the principle that meaningful change is more likely to happen when those affected by an issue are involved in developing the response. This is why our activities are interconnected.

For example, a question may arise during a Language Discussion Club conversation. This could then become the starting point for a workshop. An activity developed during the workshop may then become part of the Language Station. Later, we test the activity with teachers or trainers, reflecting on what works, what needs to change, and what is missing. This reflection may result in a video that becomes part of an educational online course, providing resources for practitioners.

In this way, the project grows step by step. Educators, families, students, researchers and community members do not just participate as audiences. Their experiences help shape what PLURI becomes.