Pedagogical practices in a bilingual education context

Aim: To report, from a pedagogical point of view, on the experience of a science teacher with an 8th grade class marked by great linguistic and cultural diversity, by sharing pedagogical practices and reflecting on the challenges faced. It also addresses the influence of a pedagogical approach that values the students' mother tongues, considering their influence on development and learning. Experience report: The experience took place in a private school in the Setúbal district of Portugal. The class in this case had several students who were not fluent in the school languages (English and Portuguese), and teaching-learning strategies were adopted which sought not only to promote the learning of concepts associated with scientific knowledge around science, but also the acquisition of vocabulary from the school languages, using the students' mother tongues to this end. Final considerations: The students felt that their linguistic and cultural identities were valued, which contributed to greater motivation and involvement in teaching activities; this valuation was also reflected in the development of the students' scientific and linguistic competences, as well as in their academic performance and confidence to participate in the activities proposed in the classroom context.