From Monolingualism to Plurilingualism: Multimodal Arts‐Based Cultural Probes as Catalysts for Linguistic Justice in an Afterschool Literacy Program

ABSTRACT Afterschool programs in Anglophone Canada often reinforce monolingual English norms, marginalizing multilingual students' linguistic and cultural resources. In a research project conducted over three 16‐week cycles at two schools, we selected relevant books and actively engaged parents and students with multimodal, arts‐based cultural probes—such as collage, painting, rapping, and digital mapping—that encouraged culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) children's reclamation of their minoritized languages, affirmed cultural identities, and confronted linguistic exclusion. Student artwork, interviews, and classroom observations showed greater use of home languages, increased pride in students' cultural backgrounds, and more resistance against linguistic and cultural exclusion compared to prior field observations. Findings suggest that these arts‐based probes not only support English literacy development but also affirm students' full linguistic and cultural identities. This work offers practical guidance for designing inclusive learning environments and highlights the importance of engaging parents in critical conversations about language, culture, and identity at home.