Recognizing Linguistic-Cultural Diversity in Religious Education:

On the Neglected Potential of the 'Language of the Heart' of Immigrant and Refugee Learners

Abstract

Due to the growing number of migrant and refugee pupils, schools are increasingly characterised by linguistic and cultural diversity. This fact also has a significant impact on the processes of religious education, even if a targeted examination of multilingualism in religious education is largely neglected. Against this background, the article argues that the 'language of the heart' (= mother tongue, first language), especially of learners with a migration or refugee background, should be perceived in its contextuality as a decisive instrument for expanding and enriching religious teaching and learning paths. To achieve this goal, three interrelated steps are presented: In the first section, the relevance of the relationship between mother tongue and individual-subjective religiosity is outlined to then tap into the 'language of the heart' of pupils as a key resource for religious education. This is followed by a religious pedagogical concretisation with suggestions for classroom practice and a presentation of some difficulties and challenges. The reflection concludes with a brief outlook.